death

noun

ˈdeth 

1

a

: a permanent cessation of all vital (see vital sense 2a) functions : the end of life

The cause of death has not been determined.

managed to escape death

prisoners were put to death

death threats

compare brain death

b

: an instance of dying

a disease causing many deaths

lived there until her death

2

a

: the cause or occasion of loss of life

drinking was the death of him

b

: a cause of ruin

… the slander that was death to my character …

—Wilkie Collins

The drought was death to the farm.

3

Death folklore : the destroyer of life represented usually as a skeleton with a scythe

when Death comes to take me away

4

: the state of being no longer alive : the state of being dead

5

a

: the passing or destruction of something inanimate

the death of vaudeville

b

: extinction

the death of the dinosaurs

6

law : civil death

7

: slaughter

death and destruction

Phrases

at death's door

: close to death : critically ill

to death

: beyond endurance : excessively

bored to death

scared to death of spiders

I am sick to death of hearing your excuses.

Most high rollers prefer Atlantic City and Las Vegas, where they are comped to death and have more diversions.

—William G. Flanagan et al.

Synonyms of death

• demise
• fate
• passing
• doom

Examples of death in a Sentence

birth, life, and eventual death

The newspaper did not report the cause of death.

People around the world mourned his death.

The accident resulted in two deaths.

The number of deaths from cancer is rising.

He died a violent death.

There has been a death in the family.

The general met his death on the battlefield.

the death of a marriage

Death could be seen lurking in the corner of the painting.

Recent Examples on the Web

The father of her children, 21-year-old Joseph Weathered, was arrested and faces a charge of capital murder of multiple people in the deaths of Tonishea Harris and her unborn baby. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Nov. 2025

Ruggs was charged with DUI causing death after the crash. —Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

Several of these recalls pose a risk of contamination by bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum—all of which can cause serious illness or death. —Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

Branson announced her death Tuesday on Instagram and LinkedIn. —CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deeth, from Old English dēath; akin to Old Norse dauthi death, deyja to die — more at die

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing death

• a fate worse than death
• a matter of life and death
• a natural death
• be put to death
• be the death of
• black death
• bleed to death
• blue screen of death
• brain death
• burn to death
• civil death
• cot death
• crib death
• crude death rate
• crushed to death
• death benefit
• death blow
• death by misadventure
• death camas
• death camp
• death cap
• death certificate
• death-defying
• death duty
• death grip
• death instinct
• death mask
• death metal
• death penalty
• death rate
• death rattle
• death ray
• death row
• death sentence
• death's-head
• death's-head hawk moth
• death squad
• death tax
• death throes
• death toll
• death trap
• death warrant
• death wish
• do to death
• escape death
• freeze to death
• frighten to death
• in his death throes
• kiss of death
• life-and-death
• life-or-death
• like death warmed over
• like death warmed up
• living death
• near-death experience
• plunge to one's death
• programmed cell death
• scared to death
• scare someone to death
• sentence/condemn to death
• sign one's own death warrant
• sound/ring/toll the death knell
• stared death in the eye
• stared death in the face
• starve to death
• sudden death
• sudden infant death syndrome
• the black death
• the death penalty
• the jaws of death
• thrilled to death/pieces
• to the death
• will be the death of
• wrongful death

Rhymes for death

• beth
• breath
• heth
• lethe
• meth
• seth
• sheth
• sneath
• shibboleth

Kids Definition

death

noun

ˈdeth 

1

: the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities (as the beating of the heart and working of the brain) : the end of life

2

: the cause of loss of life

drinking was the death of him

3

capitalized : the destroyer of life represented usually as a skeleton with a scythe

4

: the state of being dead

5

: destruction sense 1, extinction

deathlike

-ˌlīk

adjective

Medical Definition

death

noun

ˈdeth 

1

: the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity : the end of life see brain death

2

: the cause or occasion of loss of life

drinking was the death of him

3

: the state of being dead

in death as in life

Legal Definition

death

noun

: a permanent cessation of all vital bodily functions : the end of life see also brain death, civil death

Note: Death is usually defined by statute and for purposes of criminal homicide has been held to include brain death.