plural deaths
1
a
: the end of life : the time when someone or something dies
birth, life, and eventual death
fear of death
She is close to death. [=she will die soon]
death threats
The hostage managed to escape death. [=avoid being killed]
The newspaper did not report the cause of death.
She was convicted of murder and sentenced/condemned to death. [=told that she would be killed as punishment]
b
: the ending of a particular person's life
People around the world mourned his death.
She worked at the newspaper until her death at (age) 74.
The accident resulted in two deaths.
The number of deaths from cancer is rising.
He died a violent/tragic death.
There has been a death in the family.
She survived the plane crash and many years later died a natural death. [=from natural causes; because she was old]
The general met his death on the battlefield.
2
: the permanent end of something that is not alive : the ruin or destruction of something
the death of innocence
the death of vaudeville
the death of a marriage
3
literary
: the force that ends life and is often shown in art or literature as a skeleton
Death could be seen lurking in the corner of the painting.
when Death comes to take me away
Cite this Entry
“Death.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/death. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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