death

noun

ˈdeth How to pronounce death (audio)
Definition of deathnext
1
as in demise
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities we were all saddened by the death of our friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mortality
the state of being dead death is one of the few constants in the universe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dissolution
the act of ceasing to exist the death of the Soviet economic system in the wake of the breakup of the USSR

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life that muscle car will be the death of him yet

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in massacre
the killing of a large number of people thousands of soldiers were lost on the field of death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of death Jack Coleman, who co-starred in the sci-fi drama Heroes alongside Hayden Panettiere, mourned the actress’ death at age 36 in an emotional tribute. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, the New York Times and ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 In just 17 minutes, a Tarrant County jury convicted an Arlington man of capital murder in the 2025 stabbing death of his estranged wife, prosecutors said Wednesday. — Doug Myers, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 The pair was together from 2015 until his death, and privately faced his ALS diagnosis together. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for death
Recent Examples of Synonyms for death
  1. demise
  2. dead
  3. dissolution
  4. downfall
  5. massacre
  6. fate
  7. mortality
  8. termination
Noun
  • Over time, the same system that profited from his brilliance proved indifferent to his vulnerability, and his life became reduced to a singular narrative of addiction and demise.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Tribune played a key role in the demise of Nixon’s presidency.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of demise
Noun
  • Ronald Exantus was released from Kentucky Department of Corrections custody July 29 after completing the sentence imposed for assaulting Logan Tipton's father and sisters during the 2015 home invasion that left the 6-year-old dead.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Fire crews soon pronounced the driver of the Ram dead at the scene.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of dead
Noun
  • The dissolution of the ghettos in the eighteenth century could be interpreted as tearing down barriers, but now poverty set in and the wealthy separated from those who formerly shared a similar destiny.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The potential dissolution of the Hapag-ZIM deal follows the collapse of one of the largest and fastest-growing container lines in the world.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissolution
Noun
  • After Iran’s last monarch was deposed in 1979, various paramilitary groups that helped hasten his downfall coalesced into the IRGC.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • For others, his downfall exposed the intense and often racist scrutiny Black academics face.
    — Michel Martin, NPR, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of downfall
Noun
  • Hong Kong — Two key organizers behind what used to be the only large-scale public commemoration for the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil have been found guilty of inciting subversion by a court in Hong Kong.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Their lawsuit against Jones and the 2022 verdict marked the first time he was held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws.
    — Jim Vertuno, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of massacre
Noun
  • An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • And sure as fate, three successive hits brought one run in, a walk loaded the bases, and the tying run came to the plate in the figure of Eli White.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of fate
Noun
  • Another study – this based on more than half a million patients – showed a 32% lower risk of dementia among those taking tadalafil, along with improved mortality.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
  • And in a 28-year study, men with less control in their jobs had a 26% greater chance of mortality, according to research in BMJ Open.
    — Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of mortality
Noun
  • Despite this, the club’s talks over the mutual termination of his contract had been going on for several weeks, as reported by The Athletic.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Research has shown that women with obesity earn about 6% less than thinner women for identical work and that people in larger bodies may also face discriminatory termination and negative stereotypes that can hinder hiring and career advancement.
    — Brittney McNamara, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of termination

Phrases Containing death

Browse Nearby Words

deasil
death
death's-head
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/death. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on death

Nglish: Translation of death for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about death

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All