death Meaning & Definition
What Does Death Mean?
As a noun, death means The cessation of life and all associated processes; the end of an organism's existence as an entity independent from its environment and its return to an inert, non-living state. It is also used to mean Execution (in the judicial sense).
Death at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //dɛθ// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | demise, last and end |
| Antonyms | nascence, nascency and birth |
| Plural | deaths |
Death Definition (Noun)
- The cessation of life and all associated processes; the end of an organism's existence as an entity independent from its environment and its return to an inert, non-living state.
My grandfather died/met a violent death, which saddened the whole family.
- Execution (in the judicial sense).
The serial killer was sentenced to death.
- The personification of death as a (usually male) hooded figure with a scythe; the Grim Reaper.
When death walked in, a chill spread through the room.
- The collapse or end of something.
England scored a goal at the death to even the score at one all.
- A cause of great stress, exhaustion, embarrassment, or another negative condition (for someone).
This bake sale is going to be the death of me!
- Spiritual lifelessness.
Noun
- (often capitalized) The personification of death as a hooded figure with a scythe; the Grim Reaper. The pronoun he is not the only option, but probably the most traditional one, as it matches with the male grammatical gender of Old English dēaþ, also with cognate German der Tod. The fourth apocalyptic rider (Bible, revelations 6:8) is male θᾰ́νᾰτος (thanatos) in Greek. It has the female name Mors in Latin, but is referred to with male forms qui and eum. The following quotes show this rider on a pale horse is his in the English Bible and she in Peter Gabriel's lyrics.
When death walked in, a chill spread through the room.
- (the death) The collapse or end of something.
England scored a goal at the death to even the score at one all.
Synonyms of Death
Death synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Death
Death in a Sentence
My grandfather died/met a violent death, which saddened the whole family.
The serial killer was sentenced to death.
When death walked in, a chill spread through the room.
England scored a goal at the death to even the score at one all.
Buyer (negotiating): You were at two-fifty on that one. Go on, then, what's the death on that? Seller: Two hundred pounds is the absolute death. Buyer: Sold. Thank you.
This bake sale is going to be the death of me!
The death of my grandmother saddened the whole family.
Word Forms & Grammar
death (countable and uncountable, plural deaths)
Words That Rhyme With Death
Origin of Death
From Middle English deth, deeth, from Old English dēaþ, from Proto-West Germanic *dauþu, from Proto-Germanic *dauþuz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰówtus. More at die.
Death Pronunciation
The standard pronunciation of death is //dɛθ//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Questions People Ask About Death
What part of speech is death?
Death is a noun.
What is another word for death?
Words with a similar meaning to death include demise, last and end. See the full list of death synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of death?
The opposite of death can be expressed with words like nascence, nascency, birth and nativity.
What is the plural of death?
The plural of death is deaths.