knell

1 of 2

noun

ˈnel 

1

: a stroke or sound of a bell especially when rung slowly (as for a death, funeral, or disaster)

2

: an indication of the end or the failure of something

sounded the death knell for our hopes

knell

2 of 2

verb

knelled; knelling; knells

transitive verb

: to summon or announce by or as if by a knell

intransitive verb

1

: to ring especially for a death, funeral, or disaster : toll

2

: to sound in an ominous manner or with an ominous effect

Synonyms

Verb

• bong
• chime
• peal
• ring
• toll

Examples of knell in a Sentence

Verb

the church bells knelled to mark the death of the nation's beloved leader

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The potential death knell for an armada of space discovery missions has been reverberating not just across NASA, but also throughout the U.S. universities that help conceive or design these flights. —Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025

The relocation plan is seen by Jordan as an existential threat to the small kingdom, a death knell for hopes of an eventual Palestinian state and tantamount to complicity in ethnic cleansing of Gaza. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 20 June 2025

Verb

Day 18: Hard to focus with all the death knells tolling. —Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English cnyllan; akin to Middle High German erknellen to toll

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing knell

• sound/ring/toll the death knell

Rhymes for knell

• bel
• belle
• cel
• cell
• dell
• dwell
• el
• ell
• fel
• fell
• gel
• gell

Kids Definition

knell

1 of 2 verb

ˈnel 

1

: to ring slowly and solemnly especially for a death, funeral, or disaster : toll

2

: to summon, announce, or warn by a knell

knell

2 of 2 noun

1

: a stroke or sound of a bell especially when rung slowly for a death, funeral, or disaster

2

: an indication (as a sound) of the end or failure of something