DEPARTED Synonyms: 189 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'departed' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of departed are dead , deceased , defunct , and late . While all these words mean "devoid of life," departed is used usually as a euphemism. // our departed sister

Q: When is 'dead' a more appropriate choice than 'departed'?

While in some cases nearly identical to departed , dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life. // a dead , listless performance

Q: How does the word 'deceased' relate to other synonyms for 'departed'?

Deceased , departed , and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use. // the estate of the deceased

Q: When might 'defunct' be a better fit than 'departed'?

The words defunct and departed are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation. // a defunct television series

Q: In what contexts can 'late' take the place of 'departed'?

In some situations, the words late and departed are roughly equivalent. However, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status. // the company's late president

departed 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈpär-təd

Definition of departed next

as in extinct

no longer existing a few crumbling ruins are all that remain of that departed civilization

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as in fallen

no longer living our dear departed friend

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

departed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of depart

as in exited

to leave a place often for another I'll sing one more song before I depart

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as in died

to stop living a special tribute for those members of the motion picture academy who have departed over the past year

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective departed contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of departed are dead, deceased, defunct, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is dead a more appropriate choice than departed?

While in some cases nearly identical to departed, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How does the word deceased relate to other synonyms for departed?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When might defunct be a better fit than departed?

The words defunct and departed are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

In what contexts can late take the place of departed?

In some situations, the words late and departed are roughly equivalent. However, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

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 departed

Adjective

That mirrors the likely total awaiting the 10 Pac-12 legacy schools now scattered across the Big 12, Big Ten and ACC. Of the departed contingent, only Arizona is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament field as an at-large team. —

Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026 Pritchard, who’d notched three straight 20-point outings since replacing the departed Anfernee Simons as Boston’s second-unit quarterback, had six points on 2-of-9 shooting and was a minus-27. —

Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026

Verb

An airline spokesperson said Flight 337 departed from Orlando with 187 passengers and six crew members onboard before the crew declared an emergency. —

Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 12 June 2026 The witness said a second sphere appeared before both objects departed silently. —

Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for departed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for departed

Adjective

Conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans had not become extinct.

— George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026
Since then, the editing capability of CRISPR has been tested on everything from developing disease treatments to engineering drought-resistant crops to resurrecting genes of extinct species.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2026

Definition of extinct

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“Departed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/departed. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

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Synonyms of departed

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