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Continue Reading →59 Idioms for Death in English (With Meanings & Examples)
⚡️ Key Takeaways
The safest idioms for death are pass away, pass on, lose someone, no longer with us and at peace. These work in almost any situation.
Kick the bucket, six feet under, pop your clogs and push up daisies are jokes. Never use them about someone who has actually died, and never near a person who is grieving.
English has more idioms for death than for almost anything else, because most speakers avoid the plain word.
When someone tells you about a death, you rarely need an idiom at all. “I am so sorry for your loss” is the whole sentence.
Idioms for death include pass away, no longer with us, at rest, kick the bucket, six feet under and shuffle off this mortal coil. English is full of them, and they are not remotely interchangeable.
One of my students learned that in the worst possible way. He was an engineer, new to Manchester, and a colleague’s father had died. He wanted to write something kind in the sympathy card going round the office, and he had learned a phrase from a film the week before. He wrote: “So sorry to hear your father kicked the bucket.” He meant it sincerely. The card never got sent, and a colleague took him aside and explained why.
He had done nothing wrong except trust a list. The film had taught him the words and nothing else, and no dictionary had told him that this particular phrase is a joke, and that jokes about a dead man are for his old friends in the pub, not for his daughter in an office card.
So here are 59 real idioms for death, with a short meaning, a longer explanation, three examples and three alternatives for each. Read the tone notes carefully. On this topic, they matter more than the idioms do.
What Is an Idiom for Death?
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning you cannot work out from the words themselves. “Kick the bucket” has nothing to do with buckets. It means to die.
English speakers avoid the word “died” more than almost any other word, which is why the language has built up so many replacements. Most fall into one of three families: softening (pass away, at rest, no longer with us), distancing through humour (kick the bucket, push up daisies, six feet under), and elevating through religion or literature (meet your maker, shuffle off this mortal coil, gone to a better place).
Knowing which family a phrase belongs to matters more here than in any other area of English. Choose from the wrong family and you will hurt someone who is already hurting.
Some Safety Rules Before You Start
Read this before you use a single idiom below:
Safe with anyone, including the bereaved: pass away, pass on, lose someone, no longer with us, at peace, at rest.
Safe in writing, news and formal speech: the late, deceased, depart this life, breathe your last, succumb to.
Safe only among people who are not grieving: kick the bucket, six feet under, pop your clogs, push up daisies, bite the dust, buy the farm, croak, snuff it.
Never say these to someone whose person has just died. Not to be kind, not to lighten the mood, not because you saw it in a film. The humour in them belongs to distance, and a grieving person has no distance.
59 Idioms for Death (With Meanings and Examples)
Here is the full list at a glance. The detail follows underneath.
| Idiom | In short | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pass away | To die. |
| 2 | Pass on | To die. |
| 3 | Lose someone | To have someone close to you die. |
| 4 | No longer with us | Dead. |
| 5 | In a better place | Dead, with the comfort that they are somewhere better. |
| 6 | At peace | Dead, and no longer suffering. |
| 7 | At rest | Dead and buried. |
| 8 | Slip away | To die quietly and gently. |
| 9 | Be taken from us | To die, especially unfairly or too early. |
| 10 | Gone too soon | Died young. |
| 11 | Depart this life | To die. |
| 12 | Rest in peace | A wish for peace for someone who has died. |
| 13 | Be laid to rest | To be buried. |
| 14 | The late | Used before the name of someone who has died. |
| 15 | Deceased | Dead. |
| 16 | Breathe your last | To die. |
| 17 | Be no more | To no longer exist. |
| 18 | Succumb to | To die from an illness or injury. |
| 19 | Lay down your life | To die to protect others. |
| 20 | Make the ultimate sacrifice | To die for a cause or for others. |
| 21 | Shuffle off this mortal coil | To die. |
| 22 | Go the way of all flesh | To die, as everyone eventually must. |
| 23 | Pass beyond the veil | To die and enter whatever comes next. |
| 24 | Meet your maker | To die and face God. |
| 25 | Eternal rest | Death, understood as sleep that does not end. |
| 26 | Cross the River Styx | To die. |
| 27 | Kick the bucket | To die. |
| 28 | Pop your clogs | To die. |
| 29 | Push up daisies | To be dead and buried. |
| 30 | Six feet under | Dead and buried. |
| 31 | Bite the dust | To die, or to fail. |
| 32 | Buy the farm | To die. |
| 33 | Cash in your chips | To die. |
| 34 | Give up the ghost | To die, or to stop working. |
| 35 | Croak | To die. |
| 36 | Snuff it | To die. |
| 37 | Fall off the perch | To die. |
| 38 | Turn up your toes | To die. |
| 39 | Take a dirt nap | To be dead and buried. |
| 40 | Go west | To die. |
| 41 | On your deathbed | Dying, in your final hours or days. |
| 42 | At death's door | Very close to dying. |
| 43 | On your last legs | Close to the end. |
| 44 | Have one foot in the grave | Very close to death, or very old. |
| 45 | Not long for this world | Expected to die soon. |
| 46 | Living on borrowed time | Alive longer than expected. |
| 47 | Hanging by a thread | Barely alive, or barely surviving. |
| 48 | Meet a sticky end | To die badly, often violently. |
| 49 | Drop dead | To die suddenly. |
| 50 | Be done for | To be about to die, or about to fail. |
| 51 | Meet the grim reaper | To die. |
| 52 | Bite the big one | To die. |
| 53 | Gone but not forgotten | Dead, but still remembered. |
| 54 | Nothing is certain but death and taxes | Death is unavoidable. |
| 55 | You can't take it with you | Money is useless once you are dead. |
| 56 | Life goes on | Living continues, even after a loss. |
| 57 | Time heals all wounds | Grief becomes easier to carry. |
| 58 | A fate worse than death | Something regarded as terrible. |
| 59 | Over my dead body | Absolutely not, under any circumstances. |
1. Pass away
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: The safest and most common idiom in English for death. It is gentle, neutral and appropriate everywhere, from a text message to a funeral. If you learn only one phrase from this article, learn this one.
Examples in a sentence
- Her grandfather passed away peacefully on Sunday morning.
- I am so sorry. When did she pass away?
- He passed away after a long illness.
Other ways to say it: pass on, slip away, be no longer with us.
2. Pass on
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Almost identical to “pass away”, with a slightly spiritual edge, since it suggests moving to somewhere else. Common in American English and completely safe.
Examples in a sentence
- His mother passed on last winter.
- She passed on before the baby was born.
- Both of my grandparents have passed on now.
Other ways to say it: pass away, depart this life, be no longer with us.
3. Lose someone
Meaning
In short: To have someone close to you die.
In detail: Neutral and extremely common. It focuses on the person left behind rather than the one who died, which is exactly why it feels so gentle.
Examples in a sentence
- We lost my father in 2019.
- She lost her husband last year and is still grieving.
- I am so sorry to hear you have lost your brother.
Other ways to say it: be taken from us, pass away, no longer have someone.
4. No longer with us
Meaning
In short: Dead.
In detail: Gentle and slightly formal, and very common when you are speaking about someone and want to avoid the plain word. Note that it can also mean “left the company”, so context matters.
Examples in a sentence
- Sadly, my grandmother is no longer with us.
- Both of the founders are no longer with us.
- She is no longer with us, but the shop still carries her name.
Other ways to say it: pass away, be gone, be at peace.
5. In a better place
Meaning
In short: Dead, with the comfort that they are somewhere better.
In detail: Kind, but it assumes a religious belief about an afterlife. If the family does not share that belief, it can land badly, so listen to how they talk before you use it.
Examples in a sentence
- After all that suffering, she is in a better place now.
- I like to think he has gone to a better place.
- He is in a better place, and he is not in pain any more.
Other ways to say it: at peace, at rest, gone to a better place.
6. At peace
Meaning
In short: Dead, and no longer suffering.
In detail: Gentle, safe, and it works whether or not anyone involved is religious. It is especially common after a long illness.
Examples in a sentence
- After months of pain, he is finally at peace.
- She is at peace now, which is a comfort.
- Whatever else, he is at peace.
Other ways to say it: at rest, no longer suffering, in a better place.
7. At rest
Meaning
In short: Dead and buried.
In detail: Gentle and slightly formal, and common on headstones and in death notices. It suggests both burial and peace.
Examples in a sentence
- She is at rest beside her husband.
- He was laid to rest in his home village, where he is now at rest.
- May she be at rest.
Other ways to say it: at peace, laid to rest, rest in peace.
8. Slip away
Meaning
In short: To die quietly and gently.
In detail: Tender and specific. It describes a calm, quiet death, usually with family nearby, and it is often used when someone died in their sleep.
Examples in a sentence
- She slipped away in the night with her children beside her.
- He slipped away quietly, without any pain.
- We held her hand and she just slipped away.
Other ways to say it: pass away peacefully, slip peacefully away, go quietly.
9. Be taken from us
Meaning
In short: To die, especially unfairly or too early.
In detail: Emotional and slightly formal. It carries a sense of injustice, so it fits sudden deaths, accidents and young people rather than a peaceful death at ninety.
Examples in a sentence
- He was taken from us far too soon.
- She was taken from us in an accident last March.
- They were taken from us before they had really lived.
Other ways to say it: gone too soon, lose someone, be lost to us.
10. Gone too soon
Meaning
In short: Died young.
In detail: Warm and sorrowful, and very common in tributes and on social media. It says the death was wrong in its timing rather than simply sad.
Examples in a sentence
- Twenty-three years old. Gone too soon.
- She was gone too soon, and the whole town felt it.
- Another good man gone too soon.
Other ways to say it: be taken from us, taken before their time, die young.
11. Depart this life
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Formal and old-fashioned, and mainly seen on gravestones and in official records. Perfectly respectful, but it will sound strange in conversation.
Examples in a sentence
- Here lies Mary Ellis, who departed this life in 1904.
- He departed this life on the third of June.
- She departed this life surrounded by her family.
Other ways to say it: pass away, pass on, breathe your last.
12. Rest in peace
Meaning
In short: A wish for peace for someone who has died.
In detail: Universal, respectful and often written as RIP. It is said about the dead, not to the bereaved, so it belongs under a photo or at the end of a tribute, not in a sympathy card.
Examples in a sentence
- Rest in peace, Grandad. We will miss you.
- A wonderful man. Rest in peace.
- RIP to a true friend.
Other ways to say it: at rest, at peace, may they rest in peace.
13. Be laid to rest
Meaning
In short: To be buried.
In detail: Formal, gentle and respectful, and it refers to the funeral rather than the death. It is common in news reports and eulogies.
Examples in a sentence
- He was laid to rest on Friday in the village churchyard.
- She will be laid to rest beside her mother.
- Hundreds came to see him laid to rest.
Other ways to say it: be buried, at rest, be put to rest.
14. The late
Meaning
In short: Used before the name of someone who has died.
In detail: Formal and respectful, and standard in writing, news and introductions. It goes before the name, never after it.
Examples in a sentence
- The late Professor Hall wrote the definitive book on the subject.
- This award is named for the late Maria Reyes.
- She is the widow of the late John Carter.
Other ways to say it: deceased, no longer with us, our late colleague.
15. Deceased
Meaning
In short: Dead.
In detail: Formal, official and neutral. It belongs in legal documents, medical records and police reports, and it will sound cold in a conversation with a family.
Examples in a sentence
- The deceased was identified as a man in his sixties.
- Please list any deceased relatives on the form.
- Both parents are deceased.
Other ways to say it: the late, no longer living, dead.
16. Breathe your last
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Literary and formal, and it describes the final moment itself. Common in novels and historical writing, rare in speech.
Examples in a sentence
- He breathed his last just before dawn.
- She breathed her last in the house where she was born.
- The old king breathed his last surrounded by his sons.
Other ways to say it: depart this life, pass away, take your last breath.
17. Be no more
Meaning
In short: To no longer exist.
In detail: Formal and literary, and it is used about things as often as about people. In speech it can sound theatrical, which is why comedians use it.
Examples in a sentence
- The great library is no more.
- He is no more, and the country mourns him.
- The company that built this street is no more.
Other ways to say it: be gone, cease to exist, be finished.
18. Succumb to
Meaning
In short: To die from an illness or injury.
In detail: Formal and common in journalism and medicine. It always names the cause, so it is never used on its own.
Examples in a sentence
- He succumbed to cancer at the age of fifty-one.
- She succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
- Thousands succumbed to the disease that winter.
Other ways to say it: die of, lose your battle with, pass away from.
19. Lay down your life
Meaning
In short: To die to protect others.
In detail: Formal and honouring. It is used about soldiers, firefighters and anyone who died saving someone else, and it always implies a choice.
Examples in a sentence
- He laid down his life for his crew.
- They were prepared to lay down their lives for their country.
- She laid down her life trying to reach the children.
Other ways to say it: make the ultimate sacrifice, give your life, die a hero.
20. Make the ultimate sacrifice
Meaning
In short: To die for a cause or for others.
In detail: Formal and solemn, and almost entirely used about the military and emergency services. It belongs in speeches and memorials.
Examples in a sentence
- Today we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
- Two officers made the ultimate sacrifice that night.
- He made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could escape.
Other ways to say it: lay down your life, give your life, fall in the line of duty.
21. Shuffle off this mortal coil
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: From Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and today it is usually said with a smile. Because it is so grand, it now reads as gently comic, so it is not a phrase for a real funeral.
Examples in a sentence
- I have no plans to shuffle off this mortal coil just yet.
- By the time I shuffle off this mortal coil, the mortgage will be paid.
- His character finally shuffles off this mortal coil in Act Five.
Other ways to say it: pass away, meet your maker, go the way of all flesh.
22. Go the way of all flesh
Meaning
In short: To die, as everyone eventually must.
In detail: Literary and old, with a biblical origin. It emphasises that death comes for everyone, so it suits reflection rather than a specific death.
Examples in a sentence
- Kings and beggars alike go the way of all flesh.
- We shall all go the way of all flesh in the end.
- He went the way of all flesh, as we all will.
Other ways to say it: shuffle off this mortal coil, meet your maker, pass on.
23. Pass beyond the veil
Meaning
In short: To die and enter whatever comes next.
In detail: Spiritual and poetic, and it assumes something exists on the other side. It appears in religious writing and in tributes, and it will sound odd in ordinary speech.
Examples in a sentence
- She has passed beyond the veil, and we are left with her memory.
- Those who pass beyond the veil are not truly gone.
- He passed beyond the veil peacefully in his sleep.
Other ways to say it: cross over, go to a better place, pass on.
24. Meet your maker
Meaning
In short: To die and face God.
In detail: Religious in origin, and today it is used both seriously and jokingly. Tone decides everything, so listen carefully before you copy it.
Examples in a sentence
- He was ninety-six when he went to meet his maker.
- Drive like that and you will meet your maker early.
- She has gone to meet her maker, and she was ready.
Other ways to say it: go to a better place, pass on, be called home.
25. Eternal rest
Meaning
In short: Death, understood as sleep that does not end.
In detail: Formal, religious and comforting. It appears in prayers, headstones and eulogies, and it is respectful in every context.
Examples in a sentence
- May she find eternal rest.
- He has entered into eternal rest.
- We commend him to eternal rest.
Other ways to say it: at rest, rest in peace, sleep the eternal sleep.
26. Cross the River Styx
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Literary, from Greek mythology, where the dead were ferried across a river into the underworld. It is used for effect in writing and almost never in speech.
Examples in a sentence
- The novel follows a soldier who crosses the River Styx in the first chapter.
- We all cross the River Styx eventually.
- He wrote about crossing the Styx as if it were a bus journey.
Other ways to say it: pass beyond the veil, go the way of all flesh, cross over.
27. Kick the bucket
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: The most famous death idiom in English, and a joke. It is fine when speaking generally about your own death far in the future, and it is deeply hurtful about someone who has actually just died. This is the phrase my student put in a sympathy card.
Examples in a sentence
- I want to see Japan before I kick the bucket.
- That is what a bucket list is for, all the things to do before you kick the bucket.
- In the film, the villain finally kicks the bucket.
Other ways to say it: pop your clogs, snuff it, cash in your chips.
28. Pop your clogs
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: British, informal and comic. Like “kick the bucket”, it belongs in light conversation about a distant, hypothetical death, and nowhere near a real one.
Examples in a sentence
- I plan to spend it all before I pop my clogs.
- He is eighty-nine and shows no sign of popping his clogs.
- If I pop my clogs tomorrow, the cat gets everything.
Other ways to say it: kick the bucket, snuff it, fall off the perch.
29. Push up daisies
Meaning
In short: To be dead and buried.
In detail: Humorous and slightly dark, since the daisies grow above the grave. It is used about the distant future or about people long dead.
Examples in a sentence
- By the time they fix this road, I will be pushing up daisies.
- He has been pushing up daisies since 1987.
- We will all be pushing up daisies one day.
Other ways to say it: six feet under, take a dirt nap, be in the ground.
30. Six feet under
Meaning
In short: Dead and buried.
In detail: Informal and blunt, from the traditional depth of a grave. It is common in songs and films, and it is not a phrase to use about someone’s mother.
Examples in a sentence
- You cannot spend it when you are six feet under.
- He will be six feet under before he admits he was wrong.
- The whole band is six feet under now.
Other ways to say it: push up daisies, in the ground, take a dirt nap.
31. Bite the dust
Meaning
In short: To die, or to fail.
In detail: Informal and dramatic, from westerns. It is used about deaths in films and, far more often now, about plans and machines that fail.
Examples in a sentence
- Another villain bites the dust.
- My old laptop finally bit the dust.
- Three of our competitors bit the dust last year.
Other ways to say it: meet a sticky end, be done for, give up the ghost.
32. Buy the farm
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: American, informal, and originally military slang from pilots. It is dark humour, and it is mostly used about sudden or violent death.
Examples in a sentence
- Two of his squadron bought the farm that week.
- He nearly bought the farm on that mountain.
- If the parachute fails, you buy the farm.
Other ways to say it: bite the dust, kick the bucket, be done for.
33. Cash in your chips
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Informal and comic, from gambling. It suggests a life that has run its course, and it is affectionate rather than cruel, but it is still a joke.
Examples in a sentence
- He cashed in his chips at ninety-four, in his own bed.
- I would like to cash in my chips with no debts.
- When I cash in my chips, throw a party.
Other ways to say it: kick the bucket, pop your clogs, check out.
34. Give up the ghost
Meaning
In short: To die, or to stop working.
In detail: Old and biblical in origin, but today it is used far more about machines than about people. Saying it about a person now sounds either literary or flippant.
Examples in a sentence
- The washing machine has finally given up the ghost.
- After forty years, the old boiler gave up the ghost.
- The car gave up the ghost halfway to Bristol.
Other ways to say it: bite the dust, pack up, breathe your last.
35. Croak
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Crude slang and quite disrespectful. Recognise it in films and leave it there. It is never appropriate about someone another person loved.
Examples in a sentence
- The gangster croaked before he could name his boss.
- He said he would rather croak than apologise.
- In the game, you croak if you fall in the water.
Other ways to say it: snuff it, kick the bucket, bite the big one.
36. Snuff it
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: British slang, informal and blunt, from snuffing out a candle. It is casual to the point of rudeness, so keep it out of any real conversation about a death.
Examples in a sentence
- The old boy finally snuffed it last week, and he was ready to go.
- I nearly snuffed it on that motorbike.
- Half the characters snuff it before the interval.
Other ways to say it: croak, kick the bucket, pop your clogs.
37. Fall off the perch
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: British, comic and gentle as far as jokes go, from a bird falling off its perch. It is usually used about old age.
Examples in a sentence
- He is ninety-one and in no hurry to fall off the perch.
- Uncle Ray fell off the perch last spring, still smoking.
- Before I fall off the perch, I would like to see Rome.
Other ways to say it: pop your clogs, kick the bucket, turn up your toes.
38. Turn up your toes
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Old-fashioned and comic. It is rare now, and it sounds like something a grandparent would say about themselves.
Examples in a sentence
- I will finish this book before I turn up my toes.
- He turned up his toes at the age of ninety-eight.
- The old dog turned up his toes in front of the fire.
Other ways to say it: fall off the perch, pop your clogs, kick the bucket.
39. Take a dirt nap
Meaning
In short: To be dead and buried.
In detail: American, crude and quite harsh. It is common in crime films and rap lyrics, and it is offensive in almost any real conversation about a death.
Examples in a sentence
- Cross him and you will be taking a dirt nap.
- Half that crew is taking a dirt nap now.
- He talks like a man who has never been close to a dirt nap.
Other ways to say it: six feet under, push up daisies, bite the big one.
40. Go west
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: British and dated, and strongly associated with the First World War. Today it is more often used about objects that have broken beyond repair.
Examples in a sentence
- Thousands of young men went west in that single battle.
- My phone has gone west.
- The whole plan went west in an afternoon.
Other ways to say it: bite the dust, give up the ghost, be done for.
41. On your deathbed
Meaning
In short: Dying, in your final hours or days.
In detail: Neutral and serious. It is used literally, and also figuratively for a promise or confession made at the very end.
Examples in a sentence
- He confessed it on his deathbed.
- She was on her deathbed when her son finally arrived.
- I made him a deathbed promise, and I intend to keep it.
Other ways to say it: at death’s door, in your final hours, not long for this world.
42. At death’s door
Meaning
In short: Very close to dying.
In detail: Neutral in serious use, but people also exaggerate with it about flu and hangovers, so tone tells you which is meant.
Examples in a sentence
- She was at death’s door for a week, and then she rallied.
- He was at death’s door with pneumonia last winter.
- I had a cold and my brother claimed he was at death’s door.
Other ways to say it: on your deathbed, hanging by a thread, gravely ill.
43. On your last legs
Meaning
In short: Close to the end.
In detail: Informal, and used about people, animals, businesses and shoes. About a dying person it can sound careless, so it is safer for objects.
Examples in a sentence
- The old dog is on his last legs.
- This company has been on its last legs for two years.
- These boots are on their last legs.
Other ways to say it: on your way out, hanging by a thread, done for.
44. Have one foot in the grave
Meaning
In short: Very close to death, or very old.
In detail: Informal and often teasing, which makes it risky. Said about someone genuinely dying, it sounds cruel. Said about a healthy sixty-year-old, it is a joke.
Examples in a sentence
- He is eighty and he claims he has one foot in the grave, which is nonsense.
- She has had one foot in the grave for a decade and shows no sign of stopping.
- I am forty, not one foot in the grave.
Other ways to say it: not long for this world, on your last legs, over the hill.
45. Not long for this world
Meaning
In short: Expected to die soon.
In detail: Gentle and quite formal. It is one of the softer ways to say that someone is dying, and it works in serious conversation.
Examples in a sentence
- The doctors say he is not long for this world.
- She knew she was not long for this world and made her arrangements.
- He was not long for this world, and he knew it before we did.
Other ways to say it: at death’s door, on your deathbed, living on borrowed time.
46. Living on borrowed time
Meaning
In short: Alive longer than expected.
In detail: Neutral and reflective, and it is often used with courage rather than fear. It also works figuratively about jobs, teams and governments.
Examples in a sentence
- After the transplant, he said he was living on borrowed time and loving it.
- She has been living on borrowed time since the diagnosis.
- That manager is living on borrowed time.
Other ways to say it: not long for this world, on borrowed days, running out of time.
47. Hanging by a thread
Meaning
In short: Barely alive, or barely surviving.
In detail: Neutral and tense. It works for a life in intensive care and for a deal about to collapse, so the object of the sentence decides the meaning.
Examples in a sentence
- His life was hanging by a thread for three days.
- The ceasefire is hanging by a thread.
- Her business was hanging by a thread until the loan came through.
Other ways to say it: at death’s door, on a knife edge, touch and go.
48. Meet a sticky end
Meaning
In short: To die badly, often violently.
In detail: British, informal and slightly comic, so it is used about villains in stories rather than real people. It always implies the death was deserved or foolish.
Examples in a sentence
- Every character who lies in this novel meets a sticky end.
- Carry on like that and you will meet a sticky end.
- The pirate met a sticky end in the final chapter.
Other ways to say it: come to a bad end, be done for, bite the dust.
49. Drop dead
Meaning
In short: To die suddenly.
In detail: Blunt and informal. It is also a rude insult (“drop dead!”) and a compliment (“drop-dead gorgeous”), so this one has three lives and you need the context for all of them.
Examples in a sentence
- He dropped dead on the golf course at sixty-two.
- I nearly dropped dead when I saw the bill.
- She told him to drop dead and walked out.
Other ways to say it: die suddenly, be struck down, keel over.
50. Be done for
Meaning
In short: To be about to die, or about to fail.
In detail: Informal and dramatic. In modern English it is used far more about hopeless situations than about actual deaths.
Examples in a sentence
- If the storm hits before we reach the shore, we are done for.
- Without that contract, the company is done for.
- He knew he was done for the moment the engine cut out.
Other ways to say it: be finished, be a goner, meet a sticky end.
51. Meet the grim reaper
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: Dramatic and half-joking, since the grim reaper is death drawn as a skeleton with a scythe. It appears in films and headlines, not in real conversations about loss.
Examples in a sentence
- Every character in the show eventually meets the grim reaper.
- Drive slower unless you want to meet the grim reaper early.
- Even kings meet the grim reaper.
Other ways to say it: meet your maker, be done for, cross the River Styx.
52. Bite the big one
Meaning
In short: To die.
In detail: American, crude and very informal. It is slang from films and games, and it has no place in a serious conversation.
Examples in a sentence
- Half the squad bit the big one in that mission.
- The character bites the big one in the first ten minutes.
- If this engine fails, we bite the big one.
Other ways to say it: bite the dust, take a dirt nap, croak.
53. Gone but not forgotten
Meaning
In short: Dead, but still remembered.
In detail: Warm, respectful and extremely common on cards, headstones and memorials. Completely safe.
Examples in a sentence
- Gone but not forgotten, and loved every day.
- Twenty years today. Gone but not forgotten.
- The plaque simply reads: gone but not forgotten.
Other ways to say it: always in our hearts, never forgotten, forever remembered.
54. Nothing is certain but death and taxes
Meaning
In short: Death is unavoidable.
In detail: A saying, usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, and used wryly rather than sadly. It is about life in general, not about a specific death.
Examples in a sentence
- Nothing is certain in this business but death and taxes.
- As they say, nothing is certain but death and taxes.
- He shrugged and said death and taxes come for everyone.
Other ways to say it: we all go the same way, none of us gets out alive, death comes for us all.
55. You can’t take it with you
Meaning
In short: Money is useless once you are dead.
In detail: A saying, and usually an argument for spending or giving. It is cheerful rather than morbid.
Examples in a sentence
- Book the holiday. You cannot take it with you.
- He gave most of it away, saying you cannot take it with you.
- What is the point of saving every penny? You cannot take it with you.
Other ways to say it: there are no pockets in a shroud, spend it while you can, money is for the living.
56. Life goes on
Meaning
In short: Living continues, even after a loss.
In detail: True, but the timing is everything. Said too early to someone grieving, it sounds dismissive. Said months later, by the grieving person themselves, it is a sign of healing.
Examples in a sentence
- It has been two years, and life goes on.
- I never thought I would smile again, but life goes on.
- Do not tell a widow that life goes on at the funeral.
Other ways to say it: time moves on, the world keeps turning, we carry on.
57. Time heals all wounds
Meaning
In short: Grief becomes easier to carry.
In detail: Kind in intention and risky in practice. Many bereaved people find it dismissive in the early weeks, so it is safer to say nothing than to reach for this.
Examples in a sentence
- People kept telling me time heals all wounds, and I wanted to scream.
- Time heals all wounds, or at least it makes them quieter.
- She is finding, slowly, that time heals.
Other ways to say it: it gets easier with time, grief softens, give yourself time.
58. A fate worse than death
Meaning
In short: Something regarded as terrible.
In detail: Figurative and almost always exaggerated for comic effect. Nobody is dying in this sentence.
Examples in a sentence
- Public speaking is a fate worse than death for him.
- Camping in the rain is a fate worse than death.
- To a teenager, being seen with a parent is a fate worse than death.
Other ways to say it: unbearable, the worst thing imaginable, my idea of hell.
59. Over my dead body
Meaning
In short: Absolutely not, under any circumstances.
In detail: Figurative and emphatic, and nothing to do with actual death. It is strong, so it belongs in family arguments rather than in the office.
Examples in a sentence
- You are selling this house over my dead body.
- He is going out dressed like that over my dead body.
- Over my dead body will that man be invited.
Other ways to say it: absolutely not, not in a million years, not while I am alive.
What to Say When Someone Has Died
Here is the part no idiom list gives you, and the part my student in Manchester actually needed.
When someone tells you that a person has died, you do not need an idiom at all. You need one short, sincere sentence. These are the safest:
I am so sorry for your loss. The standard, and it is standard because it works.
I was so sorry to hear about your father. Naming the person is warmer than “your loss”.
My deepest condolences to you and your family. Slightly formal, good in writing and in email.
He will be greatly missed. Good when you knew the person.
I do not know what to say. I am just so sorry. Honest, and better than a phrase you are unsure about.
Thinking of you. Short, safe, and good for a message.
Three things to avoid, even with the best intentions: do not use any of the humorous idioms above, do not tell someone that it was for the best, and do not say “I know exactly how you feel,” because you do not.
Tips for Using These Idioms Naturally
- When in doubt, say “passed away”. It is gentle, it is universal, and nobody has ever been offended by it. If you remember nothing else from this page, remember that.
- Never use a joke idiom about a real death. Kick the bucket, six feet under, croak, snuff it and take a dirt nap are for films, songs and conversations about your own distant future. Someone else’s grief is not the place to try them out.
- Be careful with religious phrases. In a better place, meet your maker and pass beyond the veil assume a belief. Listen to how the family speaks and follow their lead.
- Watch the region. Pop your clogs, snuff it, fall off the perch and go west are British. Buy the farm, take a dirt nap and bite the big one are American. Most of the gentle ones travel everywhere.
- Remember that many of these apply to objects too. Give up the ghost, bite the dust, go west and on its last legs are used constantly about phones, cars and washing machines, and that use is completely safe.
Practice What You Learned
Three quick exercises. Answer everything, then hit "Check my answers" for your score.
1. Fill in the blank
Choose the idiom that completes each sentence.
2. Pick the right phrase
Which phrase fits the situation? On this topic, tone is everything.
3. Safe to say, or never?
Some of these belong in a sympathy card. Some must never go anywhere near one. Tap the right column for each.
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In this article:
- 1) What Is an Idiom for Death?
- 2) Some Safety Rules Before You Start
- 3) 59 Idioms for Death (With Meanings and Examples)
- 4) Tips for Using These Idioms Naturally
- 5) Practice What You Learned
Audrey Kinslow
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Each week, I share practical idioms, real-life example sentences, and simple tips to help you sound more like a native speaker. It’s free to join, and always will be.
By submitting this form, you’ll be signed up to my free newsletter, which sometimes includes mentions of my books, apps and courses. You can opt-out at any time with no hard feelings 😉 Here’s our privacy policy if you like reading.