death wish

noun

: the conscious or unconscious desire for the death of oneself or of another

Examples of death wish in a Sentence

Have you seen the way she drives? She must have a death wish.
Recent Examples on the Web The many forms of Darby Allin’s death wish continues to be a story in 2024. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024 Aslan is one of a rising number of young men in the West Bank with such a death wish, according to Palestinians in the camp. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 7 Sep. 2024 The plot of the new novel is centered on B, an immortal warrior with a death wish. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 23 July 2024 Clark Gable stars as Commander Richardson, a commander with a chip on his shoulder, and possibly a death wish, after losing a ship and much of his crew to a Japanese destroyer. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for death wish 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'death wish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death wish was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near death wish

Cite this Entry

“Death wish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20wish. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

death wish

noun
: the conscious or unconscious desire for the death of another or of oneself

called also destrudo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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