death
When a person, animal, or other living thing stops living forever.
The permanent cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism.
The condition when someone or something is not alive anymore.
The state in which a living thing is no longer alive.
When something ends forever, not a living thing but an idea, plan, or way of doing something.
The complete and irreversible end or destruction of something that is not alive, such as an idea, system, or activity.
- Base: death
- Plural: death, deaths
life and death
1Extremely serious or dangerous situation
A situation that is very serious and could result in someone living or dying.
- Getting clean water to the village is a matter of life and death.
- In war, soldiers face life and death situations every day.
to death
1To an extreme extent, often unpleasantly so
Very much, until it is unpleasant or harmful.
- He was bored to death during the lecture.
- They froze to death in the cold.
at death's door
1Very close to dying
Very sick or injured and likely to die soon.
- After the accident, he was at death's door for weeks.
- She looked like she was at death's door with that flu.
at death's door
2Very close to death
Very sick or almost dying.
- He was at death's door after the accident.
- The patient was at death's door but recovered.
death sentence
1Official order to execute someone as punishment for a crime
When a court says someone must be killed as punishment for a crime.
- The judge handed down a death sentence for the murderer.
- The murderer received the death sentence after the trial.
- In some countries, drug trafficking carries a death sentence.
- Many countries have abolished the death sentence.
a fate worse than death
1extremely bad imagined situation
A very bad situation that someone feels would be even worse than dying.
- For him, living without music would be a fate worse than death.
- For some prisoners, life in total isolation is a fate worse than death.
- She thought working for her ex-boss again would be a fate worse than death.
- He joked that going back to that job would be a fate worse than death.
- To her, losing her independence would be a fate worse than death.
a fate worse than death
2Something imagined to be worse than dying
A situation so bad that someone thinks dying would be better.
- For him, losing his freedom was a fate worse than death.
- She said working there would be a fate worse than death.