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List of English-language expressions related to death

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This is a list of words and phrases related to death in alphabetical order. While some of them are slang, others euphemize the unpleasantness of the subject, or are used in formal contexts. Some of the phrases may carry the meaning of 'kill', or simply contain words related to death. Most of them are idioms.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Expression Definition Context Notes
At peace[1] Dead Euphemistic
At rest[1] Dead Polite
Augered in Died via aircraft crash Slang As documented in The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Belly up[1] Dead Informal The orientation of fish when dead
Beyond the grave[1] After death Neutral In reference to communication with the dead
Beyond the veil[2] The mysterious place after death Neutral Originally used to refer to the 'veil' that hides the innermost sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem. Sometimes refers to just a mysterious place.
Big sleep[2] To die or be killed Euphemistic Could be in reference to Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep'
Bite the dust[2] To die or be killed Informal Also means 'failed'
Bite the big one[2] To die Informal North American.
Born asleep Stillbirth Neutral
Breathe one's last[1] To die Literary
Brown bread[3] Dead Slang Cockney rhyming slang for 'dead'.
Bought the farm[2] Died Slang Also, shortened to 'bought it'
Bucket list List of things to do before dying Popular culture derivation Derived from the older phrase "kick the bucket"; popularized by the 2007 film The Bucket List
Cargo 200 Corpses of soldiers Military slang Military code word used in the Soviet Union and the post-Soviet states referring to the transportation of military casualties
Cark-it[4] To die Informal, another version of 'croaked it'; common in UK, Ireland, Australia & New Zealand The guy was running, had a heart attack and carked it.
Cash in one's chips[2] To die Informal, euphemistic[5] Redemption for cash of gambling counters at the end of a game
Catching the bus[6] To commit suicide Slang Originated from the Usenet newsgroup alt.suicide.holiday
Charon Ferryman of Hades Neutral Crosses the rivers Styx and Acheron which divide the world of the living from the world of the dead
Check out To die Euphemism
Choir Eternal To die Humorous British. "Join the choir eternal" Monty Python Dead Parrot Sketch.
Come to a sticky end[1] To die in a way that is considered unpleasant Humorous British. Also 'to meet a sticky end'.
Counting worms[5] Dead Euphemistic
Croak[7] To die Slang
Crossed the Jordan Died Biblical/Revivalist The deceased has entered the Promised Land (i.e. Heaven)
Curtains Death Theatrical The final curtain at a dramatic performance
Dead as a dodo[2] Dead Informal The 'dodo', flightless bird from the island of Mauritius hunted to extinction
Dead as a doornail[1] Obviously dead Informal Charles Dickens used this phrase at the beginning of A Christmas Carol.
Death by misadventure Avoidable death Formal/legal Death resulting from risk-taking
Decapitation The act of killing by removing a person's head, usually with an axe or other bladed instrument A much-favoured method of execution used around the world. Notable examples include the French Revolution via guillotine, and the Tudor times using an axe.
Deleted Murdered Literary
Defenestration The act of killing by throwing a person out of a window
Departed[1] To die Neutral
Destroyed To die Neutral Usually refers to the humane killing of an animal
Die in a hole To die Slang Usually used when annoyed at someone
Die with one's boots on To die while able, or during activity, as opposed to in infirmity or while asleep. Euphemistic Old West usage: To die in a gunfight, as with the film They Died with Their Boots On. Also connotes dying in combat. British; cf. Iron Maiden's Die With Your Boots On.

Didn't make it Killed in action (see below) Euphemistic
Done for[1] About to die Neutral
Drop dead[1] Die suddenly Neutral also slang aggressive dismissal
Dropping like flies[8] Dying in droves Simile also falling ill in numbers
Drop the Body Died Euphemistic Used by new-age spiritually minded people instead of the term died, suggesting that, while the person's body died, his or her spirit lives on
Entered the homeland 1950s Grave England Euphemistic
Eaten a twinkie[citation needed] Die Humorous Relates to a perception among Australians that American food (Twinkies being a quintessential example) is toxic, due to its use of such ingredients (not used in Australian-made products) as high-fructose corn syrup.
Erased Murdered Literary
Euthanasia Assisted suicide Formal
Expire Natural end Neutral
Exterminate Kill Directive Exclaimed by Daleks (from Doctor Who) when ordered to kill
Extinct When a species as a whole ceases to exist Formal
Fading away[1] To be weakening and close to death Neutral Also to be 'fading fast'
Fall off one's perch[9] To die Informal
Fall off the toilet To die, often in an untimely or unexpected manner Informal
Food for worms[2] Someone who is dead Slang Also 'worm food'
Fratricide Murder among siblings Formal
Free one's horses To die Neutral
Game end To kill Informal
Genocide To completely exterminate all of a kind Formal
Get smoked To be killed Slang
Give up the ghost[2] To die Neutral The soul leaving the body
Glue factory To die Neutral Usually refers to the death of a horse
Gone to a better place[10] To die Euphemistic Heaven
Go over the Big Ridge[11] To die Unknown
Go bung[2] To die Informal Australian. Also means 'to fail' or 'to go bankrupt'.
Go for a Burton To die/break irreparably Informal British, from WWII.
Go to Davy Jones's locker[2] To drown or otherwise die at sea Euphemistic Peregrine Pickle describes Davy Jones as 'the fiend that presides over all the evil spirits of the deep'.
Go to the big [place] in the sky To die and go to heaven Informal A place in the afterlife paralleling the deceased's life, such as "Big ranch in the sky".[12]
Go home in a box[13] To be shipped to one's birthplace, dead Slang, euphemistic[5]
Go out with one's boots on/with a bang/in style To die while doing something enjoyed Informal
Go to, or head for, the last roundup[11] To die Euphemistic Associated with dying cowboys, along with "Going to that big ranch in the sky."
Go to one's reward[2] To die Euphemistic Final reckoning, just deserts after death
Go to one's watery grave[1] To die of drowning Literary
Go to a Texas cakewalk[11] To be hanged Unknown
Go the way of all flesh[2] To die Neutral
Go west[2] To be killed or lost Informal Refers to the sun setting at the west.
The Grim Reaper[2] Personification of death Cultural A skeleton with a scythe, often in a cloak. Also commonly truncated to just "The Reaper".
Hand in one's dinner pail[2] To die Informal No longer required at workmen's canteen
Happy hunting ground Dead Informal Used to describe the afterlife according to Native Americans
Hara-kiri (Ritual) suicide by disembowelment Japanese See Seppuku. Often misspelled as Hari-kari.
Have one foot in the grave[2] To be close to death because of illness or age Informal, sometimes humorous
History Dead Informal Usually interpreted as "to be history."
(Get) Hit by a bus To die suddenly and prematurely Informal
Hop on the last rattler[5] To die Euphemistic "Rattler" is a slang expression for a freight train.
Hop the twig[2] To die Informal Also 'to hop the stick'. Pagan belief that to jump a stick on the ground leads to the Afterworld.
In Abraham's bosom[2] In heaven Neutral From the Holy Bible, Luke 16:22.
It's clipped To die/be killed Slang New York Slang for saying something is over.
Join the choir invisible[14] To die Neutral From an 1867 poem by George Eliot
Join the great majority[2] To die Euphemistic First used by Edward Young, but the phrase 'the majority' is extremely old.
Justifiable homicide Homicide Formal A deliberate homicide that is not a criminal act because the surrounding circumstances justified the use of deadly force. Defending oneself against a deadly attack, for example, or conducting a legally ordered execution.
Kermit (suicide) To commit suicide, usually via falling from a great height Humorous Originated from a remixed video of Kermit the Frog from Sesame Street and a Kermit the Frog doll falling off a building.[15]
Kick the bucket[2] To die Informal In suicidal hanging.[16] Also 'kick off' (American).[1]
Kick the calendar To die Slang, informal Polish saying. 'Calendar' implies somebody's time of death (kicking at particular moment of time)
Killed In Action (KIA) Death of military personnel due to enemy action Military language, official and informal use
King of Terrors[2] Personification of death Neutral Of Biblical origin, found in Job 18:14 Also refers to death itself
Kiss one's arse goodbye Prepare to die Slang
Late[17] Used to refer to the recently dead[17] Euphemism[17]
Lights out To die Slang Going into Eternal Oblivion
Liquidation To be killed Euphemism Usually used in political context (such as purges), implies dehumanization.
Live on a farm (upstate) To die Euphemism Usually referring to the death of a pet, especially if the owners are parents with children, i.e. "The dog went to live on a farm."
Lose one's life[1] To die in an accident or violent event Neutral
Lost To die in an accident or violent event
Make the ultimate sacrifice[1] To die while fighting for a cause Formal Also 'make the supreme sacrifice'
Matricide Mother murdered Formal
Meet one's maker[2] To die Euphemistic According to Christian belief, soul meets God for final judgment
Murder Death Kill (MDK) Homicide TV/Movie From 1993 film Demolition Man
Night The state of death Euphemism From the poem by Dylan Thomas, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."
Not long for this world[1] Will die soon; have little time left to live Old-fashioned
Not with us anymore Dead Euphemistic
Off on a boat[5] To die Euphemistic Viking
Off the hooks[2] Dead Informal British. Not to be confused with 'off the hook' (no longer in trouble).
On one's deathbed[1] Dying Neutral
On one's last legs[2] About to die Informal
On the wrong side of the grass Dead Euphemistic slang Refers to the practice of burying the dead. Such individuals are below the grass as opposed to above it, hence being on the "wrong side".
One's hour has come[1] About to die Literary
One's number is up[1] One is going to die Slang
Oofed To die Humorous Popularized from the video game Roblox; likely invented to circumvent in-game chat filters. When referring to suicide, one may "oof themselves".
Pass away[1] To die Euphemism; polite Also 'to pass on'
Pass in one's alley[2] To die Informal Australian
Patricide Father murdered Formal
Pay the ultimate price[1] To die for a cause or principle Neutral Similar to "To make the ultimate sacrifice"
Peg out[1] To die Slang British. Also means 'to stop working'
Peppered To be shot to death Slang Usually refers to being shot multiple times (i.e. peppered with bullet holes).
Perish Synonym for death Neutral
Pop one's clogs[2] To die Humorous,[1] Informal[2] British. "Pop" is English slang for "pawn." A 19th-century working man might tell his family to take his clothes to the pawn shop to pay for his funeral, with his clogs among the most valuable items.
Promoted to Glory Death of a Salvationist Formal Salvation Army terminology.
Pull the plug[2] To kill, or allow to die Euphemism Removal of life support, such as turning off the power, or "pull the plug" on a ventilator keeping someone alive.
Pumped full of lead Shot to death Informal Typically refers to being shot multiple times.
Push up daisies[2] To have died and be buried under the ground Humorous,[1] Euphemistic[5] Early 20th century—also 'under the daisies', and 'turn one's toes up to the daisies', which date back to the mid-19th century. (See 'to turn up one's toes' below.)
Put down/put to sleep To be euthanised Euphemism Euthanasia of an animal
Put one to the sword To kill someone Literary
Rainbow Bridge Dead Euphemism Usually referring to the death of a pet, e.g. "Crossing the Rainbow Bridge."
Reset character To die Euphemistic slang Refers to video games where "resetting one's character" involves deliberately killing them and letting them respawn or load from a save.
Ride the pale horse[5] To die Euphemistic In the Biblical passage Revelation 6:8, a pale horse is ridden by Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The expression "behold a pale horse" has been used as the title of a 1964 film by Fred Zinnemann and a 1991 book by ufologist William Milton Cooper.
Run one through To kill someone, usually by stabbing Euphemism
Send one to Eternity or to the Promised Land To kill someone Literary
Go/send to Belize To die/to kill somebody Euphemism From Season 5 of the television series Breaking Bad
Send (or go) to the farm To die Euphemism Usually referring to the death of a pet, especially if the owners are parents of young children e.g. "The dog was sent to a farm."
Sewerslide To commit suicide Humorous 21st century slang. Likely invented to circumvent internet censorship.
Shade The state of death Euphemism From the poem "Invictus," by William Ernest Henley: "Beyond this place of wrath and tears, Looms but the horror of the shade."
Shake hands with Elvis To die Euphemism Shake hands with a well-known person who has (presumably) died.
Shuffle off this mortal coil[1] To die Humorous, Literary[2] From the To be, or not to be soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Six feet under[2] Dead Informal Six feet is the traditional depth of a grave
Sleeping with the fishes Murdered, then disposed of in water. Slang Popularized by The Godfather
Slipped away To die peacefully Slang Possibly originated from the poem "Death is Nothing at All" written by Reverend Henry Scott Holland in 1910 following the death of King Edward VII.
Snuffed out Murdered Literary As in extinguishing a candle, or simply "snuff it"
Step off To die Informal, euphemistic Character Ron Birdwell in the movie The Late Show (1977): "I'm always sorry to hear any of God's creatures stepping off."
Struck down[1] To be killed by an illness Neutral Usually passive
Suicide To take one's own life Formal
Sunset Dead Formal
Swim with concrete shoes Gangster murder Slang
Take a dirt nap[18] To die and be buried Slang
Take a last bow[5] To die Slang
Take one's own life To commit suicide Euphemism
Take/took the easy way out[19] To commit suicide Euphemism Based on the original meaning of the phrase of taking the path of least resistance.
Take the last train to glory[2] To die Euphemism An idiom Christian in origin.
Tango Uniform [citation needed] Dead, irreversibly broken Military slang This is "T.U." in the NATO phonetic alphabet, an abbreviation for Tits Up (which is itself an euphemism for an airplane crash).
Terminate; especially, terminate with extreme prejudice To kill; especially when carrying out an assassination as part of a covert operation. Euphemism; military slang Originated during the Vietnam War; later popularized by the films Apocalypse Now and The Terminator
The Big Adios To die Euphemistic slang Ex: "Live life to the fullest before the big Adios!"
To join the whisperers To die Euphemism From the television series Lost: the Whispers were voices of those who died, yet were unable to move on and therefore remained on the island as whispers
Toaster bath Committing suicide via dropping an active toaster in a bathtub 21st century slang
Topped yourself Committed suicide Slang
Turn up one's toes[2] To die Slang An alternative of 'turn one's toes up to the daisies' (see 'push up daisies' above.)
Unalive (also un-alive) To die, or to kill Euphemistic slang A euphemism that developed in slang on social media, particularly TikTok, to avoid censorship of the words "kill" and "die."
Unsubscribe from life To die Euphemistic 21st century slang
Up and die Unexpected death, leaving loose ends Euphemistic
Waste[20] To kill Slang
Wearing a pine overcoat (i.e. a wooden coffin)[citation needed] Dead Slang Idiom used by American gangsters of the early 20th century.
Wiped out Dead, usually if multiple individuals die Neutral
Worm food or worm bait Dead Slang

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah Oxford Dictionary of Idioms
  3. ^ "Cockney Rhyming Slang".
  4. ^ "Cark-it Meaning | Best 1 Definitions of Cark-it".
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Terry Deary, Horrible Histories: Wicked Words p. 52-53
  6. ^ "The sordid history of the first sanctioned suicide forum". The Daily Dot. 2016-12-11. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  7. ^ "The Free Dictionary: Croak". The Free Dictionary.
  8. ^ "The Free Dictionary: Drop like flies". The Free Dictionary.
  9. ^ Michael McCarthy, Felicity O'Dell. English Idioms in Use. Cambridge University Press. p. 10. ISBN 0-521-78957-5.
  10. ^ "Dead People Go To A Better Place". doorofhope.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c "How did the expression kick the bucket come about when someone dies?". EducationAsk.com.
  12. ^ "Bevo XIII, longest-tenured Longhorns mascot, dies". ESPN. Associated Press. Oct 10, 2006.
  13. ^ "The Free Dictionary: Go home in a box". The Free Dictionary.
  14. ^ "Oh, may I join the Choir invisibleArion". The poems of George Eliot (Crowell, 1884).
  15. ^ "I Am Going to Kermit Suicide". Know Your Meme. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  16. ^ Terry Deary, Horrible Histories: Wicked Words, p. 56
  17. ^ a b c Holder, R. W. (2008). Dictionary of Euphemisms. Oxford University Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-19-9235179. Late: Usually in connection to someone recently deceased.
  18. ^ "The Free Dictionary: Take a Dirt Nap". The Free Dictionary.
  19. ^ "take the easy way out". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  20. ^ "Definition of WASTE". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
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