50 Idioms for Death With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Death
1. Kick the bucket
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: Sadly, Uncle Joe kicked the bucket last night.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, perish, die.
2. Pushing up daisies
Meaning: To be dead and buried.
In a Sentence: When Grandma passed away, she was buried under her favorite oak tree, pushing up daisies.
Other Ways to Say: Six feet under, in the grave.
3. Bite the dust
Meaning: To die or fall in defeat.
In a Sentence: Many brave soldiers bit the dust in the battle.
Other Ways to Say: Fall, perish, meet one’s end.
4. Cash in one’s chips
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: After a long battle with illness, Grandpa cashed in his chips peacefully.
Other Ways to Say: Kick the bucket, pass away.
5. Meet one’s maker
Meaning: To die and go to heaven or face judgment.
In a Sentence: The old pirate finally met his maker.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, die, face the end.
6. Rest in peace
Meaning: A respectful way to say someone has died.
In a Sentence: We laid our pet dog to rest—may she rest in peace.
Other Ways to Say: Eternal sleep, gone forever.
7. Cross the great divide
Meaning: To die and transition to the afterlife.
In a Sentence: After a long illness, she crossed the great divide.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, depart, leave this life.
8. Take one’s last breath
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: The old man took his last breath surrounded by family.
Other Ways to Say: Die, pass away, expire.
9. Give up the ghost
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: After hours of struggle, the machine gave up the ghost.
Other Ways to Say: Stop functioning, expire, die.
10. Pass away
Meaning: A polite or softened expression for death.
In a Sentence: Her grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Die, rest in peace, depart.
11. Depart this life
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: She departed this life at the age of 92.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, perish.
12. Lay to rest
Meaning: To bury someone who has died.
In a Sentence: They laid the hero to rest with full honors.
Other Ways to Say: Bury, inter, put to rest.
13. Be six feet under
Meaning: To be dead and buried underground.
In a Sentence: He’s been six feet under for years.
Other Ways to Say: Buried, dead, pushing up daisies.
14. Check out
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: Sadly, he checked out before the ambulance arrived.
Other Ways to Say: Die, kick the bucket.
15. Gone to a better place
Meaning: Euphemism for dying, implying peace after death.
In a Sentence: We believe she has gone to a better place.
Other Ways to Say: Passed on, found peace.
16. Breathe one’s last
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: The soldier breathed his last on the battlefield.
Other Ways to Say: Perish, expire, take last breath.
17. Join the angels
Meaning: To die and go to heaven.
In a Sentence: Our little girl has joined the angels.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, enter heaven.
18. Sleep the eternal sleep
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: He now sleeps the eternal sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Rest in peace, eternal slumber.
19. Go to one’s final resting place
Meaning: To be buried.
In a Sentence: She was taken to her final resting place yesterday.
Other Ways to Say: Be laid to rest, buried.
20. Exit stage left
Meaning: To leave the scene of life; die.
In a Sentence: The actor exited stage left after a dramatic illness.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, bow out.
21. Fall off the perch
Meaning: To die (humorous).
In a Sentence: The old bird finally fell off the perch.
Other Ways to Say: Kick the bucket, drop dead.
22. Buy the farm
Meaning: To die, often used in military contexts.
In a Sentence: The pilot bought the farm during the mission.
Other Ways to Say: Die, perish.
23. Go belly up
Meaning: To die or fail.
In a Sentence: The fish went belly up overnight.
Other Ways to Say: Die, flop, fail.
24. Pop one’s clogs
Meaning: To die (British, informal).
In a Sentence: My old neighbor popped his clogs last week.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, kick the bucket.
25. Dead as a doornail
Meaning: Completely dead.
In a Sentence: That engine is as dead as a doornail.
Other Ways to Say: Lifeless, gone, expired.
26. Go belly up
Meaning: To die or fail completely.
In a Sentence: The old fish in the tank went belly up last night.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Collapse, Fail completely.
27. Lay to rest
Meaning: To bury someone after death.
In a Sentence: They laid their grandfather to rest in a quiet countryside cemetery.
Other Ways to Say: Bury, Inter, Put to rest.
28. Give up the ghost
Meaning: To die or to stop functioning.
In a Sentence: The car finally gave up the ghost after 20 years of use.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Expire, Cease to function.
29. At death’s door
Meaning: Very close to death.
In a Sentence: He was at death’s door after the accident, but miraculously recovered.
Other Ways to Say: Gravely ill, Near death, On the brink.
30. Bite the big one
Meaning: To die, often used humorously.
In a Sentence: That character bites the big one halfway through the movie.
Other Ways to Say: Kick the bucket, Pass away.
31. Join the choir invisible
Meaning: A poetic or humorous way to say someone has died.
In a Sentence: He has joined the choir invisible, never to sing again on this earth.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, Depart this life.
32. Sing one’s last song
Meaning: To die or come to the end of one’s life.
In a Sentence: The old performer sang his last song before passing away in his sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Die, End one’s journey.
33. Go to the happy hunting ground
Meaning: A Native American idiom meaning to die and go to the afterlife.
In a Sentence: The warrior went to the happy hunting ground after a life of bravery.
Other Ways to Say: Enter the afterlife, Pass away.
34. Give someone their final send-off
Meaning: To hold a funeral or farewell for someone who has died.
In a Sentence: The town gathered to give the mayor his final send-off.
Other Ways to Say: Hold a funeral, Lay to rest.
35. Answer the final call
Meaning: To die or pass away.
In a Sentence: She answered the final call after a long illness.
Other Ways to Say: Depart this world, Rest in peace.
36. Climb the golden staircase
Meaning: To ascend to heaven after death.
In a Sentence: She believed her father climbed the golden staircase to meet the angels.
Other Ways to Say: Enter heaven, Go to the afterlife.
37. Say goodbye to the world
Meaning: To die or leave this life.
In a Sentence: He said goodbye to the world in his sleep, peacefully.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, Leave this earth.
38. The last curtain falls
Meaning: Refers to the end of life or death.
In a Sentence: When the last curtain falls, we are remembered by our actions.
Other Ways to Say: Life ends, Final act.
39. Shuffle off this mortal coil
Meaning: A poetic expression meaning to die.
In a Sentence: He shuffled off this mortal coil after a full life.
Other Ways to Say: Depart life, Exit this world.
40. Depart for greener pastures
Meaning: To die or move on to the afterlife.
In a Sentence: Grandpa departed for greener pastures, leaving behind sweet memories.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, Go to heaven.
41. Kick off
Meaning: A slang term for dying.
In a Sentence: He kicked off before he could finish his book.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Pass on.
42. Clock out
Meaning: To die (metaphor from punching out of work).
In a Sentence: Sadly, he clocked out at the age of 92.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, Final exit.
43. Punch one’s ticket
Meaning: To die; a metaphor from transport travel.
In a Sentence: When he punched his ticket, he was ready to leave this world.
Other Ways to Say: Depart, Die, Pass away.
44. Face the final curtain
Meaning: To confront death.
In a Sentence: As he faced the final curtain, he remained brave and calm.
Other Ways to Say: Confront death, End of life.
45. Cross over
Meaning: To pass into the afterlife.
In a Sentence: She crossed over peacefully in her sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Move on, Pass away.
46. Drop dead
Meaning: To die suddenly.
In a Sentence: The man dropped dead from a heart attack while jogging.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse, Die suddenly.
47. Pass into the great beyond
Meaning: To die and move into the unknown afterlife.
In a Sentence: He passed into the great beyond with no regrets.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, Cross over.
48. Reached the end of the road
Meaning: Life has come to an end.
In a Sentence: After a long journey, he finally reached the end of the road.
Other Ways to Say: Life ended, Final breath.
49. Breathing one’s last
Meaning: To die, especially during the final moments.
In a Sentence: She was surrounded by loved ones as she breathed her last.
Other Ways to Say: Take final breath, Die.
50. Check out
Meaning: To die (slang).
In a Sentence: The old musician checked out at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, Depart this life.
