Synonyms of demise

demise 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈmīz 

1

as in death

the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities

inherited all of the estate upon the sudden demise of his grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• death
• fate
• passing
• doom
• dissolution
• end
• decease
• grave
• exit
• expiration
• destruction
• suicide
• passage
• sleep
• curtains
• expiry
• assassination
• quietus
• great divide
• fatality
• ending
• casualty
• martyrdom
• execution
• annihilation
• extermination
• killing
• slaughter
• self-destruction
• ruin
• massacre
• self-slaughter
• self-murder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• birth
• existence
• life
• creation
• rise
• nativity
• genesis
• origination

2

as in termination

the act of ceasing to exist

the gradual demise of the Roman Empire over the course of several centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

• death
• termination
• dissolution
• destruction
• cessation
• dispersion
• expiration
• ending
• end
• passing
• expiry
• conclusion
• doom
• discontinuance
• suicide
• shutdown
• decease
• stoppage
• close
• halt
• lapse
• annihilation
• ruin
• finish
• stop
• shutoff
• surcease
• quietus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beginning
• creation
• birth
• onset
• existence
• morning
• start
• inception
• genesis
• dawn
• commencement
• launch
• outset
• alpha
• prolongation
• persistence
• incipiency
• incipience
• institution
• initiation
• inauguration
• origination

3

as in downfall

a loss of status

after her demise as the doyenne of New York society, the mere mention of her name was regarded as a faux pas

Synonyms & Similar Words

• downfall
• down
• setback
• decline
• fall
• collapse
• disappointment
• reversal
• defeat
• flameout
• comedown
• breakdown
• descent
• dégringolade
• undoing
• crash
• Götterdämmerung
• humiliation
• burnout
• meltdown
• ruin
• disgrace
• nadir
• abasement
• bottom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rise
• up
• progress
• ascent
• advance
• exaltation
• aggrandizement
• headway
• flower
• prime
• heyday

demise

2 of 2

verb

as in to die

to stop living

our much beloved, recently demised leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

• die
• fall
• perish
• end
• succumb
• exit
• pass (on)
• depart
• disappear
• pass away
• expire
• check out
• buy it
• decease
• part
• step out
• go
• fade
• kick off
• kick in
• croak
• drop
• snuff it
• peg out
• flatline
• pop off
• bite the dust
• give up the ghost
• kick the bucket
• fail
• conk (out)
• dry up
• consume
• predecease

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• live
• come to
• breathe
• revive
• be
• exist
• linger
• flourish
• thrive
• prosper
• subsist

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of demise

Noun

After Stan’s dad Randy gives a rousing speech about coming together as a community following Kenny’s latest demise, the scene shifts to the funeral, with the loud and proud country ballad bubbling up as the e-bike ban is announced. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026

Beneath the symbolism is Xi’s fear that China could end up like the Soviet Union, whose own Communist Party, Xi believes, let its internal disciplinary mechanisms atrophy and thus was the architect of its own demise. — Andrew Mertha, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

The full ramifications of FTX’s insolvency and demise remain unclear, but many investors who had stored cryptocurrency on the exchange stand to lose a great deal. — Mia Taylor, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2022

According to James Sinclair, director of marine archaeology for the AllenX Maravillas project, the researchers are delving into the mystery of the ship’s demise by thoroughly mapping all of their finds. — Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2022