to death

Idioms

To an extreme or intolerable degree, as in I am tired to death of these fund-raising phone calls, or That movie just thrilled me to death. This hyperbolic phrase is used as an intensifier. Also see sick and tired; tired out. [c. 1300]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On Thursday, Justice Neil Gorsuch—dissenting alongside Thomas, as well as Justices Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett—similarly suggested that Pitchford may still be put to death.

From Slate • May 28, 2026

"As I watched it, I thought, 'Oh, my God, he's having a stroke.' And it scared me to death."

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Sorry to be morbid, but were you close to death?

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

A military court on Thursday sentenced Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

I want to tell him that I’m scared to death of going back.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023