death means the personification of death, often a skeleton with a scythe, and one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. It carries an Arena rating of 1390, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, death ranks #2,430 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words, #2,592 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #2,678 of 14,410 for Most Ponderous Words, #3,759 of 14,322 for Scariest Words.
death is pronounced /ˈdɛθ/.
Why “death” is a great word
The permanent cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. From Middle English deth, deeth, from Old English dēaþ, from Proto-West Germanic *dauþu, from Proto-Germanic *dauþuz ("death"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰówtus ("death"). Unlike "decease," a sterile legal stamp, or "demise," which implies a transfer of power, death is the pure, unadorned fact of ending. It is the stopped clock on a bedside table, the untouched cup of tea grown cold, and the sudden silence after a monitor's flatline—the finality against which all living things organize their brief, burning strategies of continuance.
Etymology
From Middle English deth, deeth, from Old English dēaþ, from Proto-West Germanic *dauþu, from Proto-Germanic *dauþuz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰówtus. More at die.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots daeth, daith, death, deeth, deith (“death”), North Frisian Duar, duas, düüs (“death”), Saterland Frisian Dood (“death”), West Frisian dea (“death”), Dutch dood (“death”), German Tod, Todt (“death”), Limburgish doead (“death”), Luxembourgish Doud (“death”), Yiddish טויט (toyt, “death”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål død (“death”), Faroese deyði (“death”), Icelandic dauði (“death”), Norwegian Nynorsk daude, død (“death”), Swedish död (“death”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌿𐍃 (dauþus, “death”).
name
- The personification of death, often a skeleton with a scythe, and one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.e.g.“Death can be seen on a tarot card.”
- A surname.
noun
- The cessation of life and all associated processes; the end of an organism's existence as an entity independent from its environment and its return to an inert, nonliving state.e.g.“My grandfather died a violent death, which saddened the whole family.”
- The cessation of life and all associated processes; the end of an organism's existence as an entity independent from its environment and its return to an inert, nonliving state.; Execution (in the judicial sense).e.g.“The serial killer was sentenced to death.”
- The personification of death as a (usually male) hooded figure with a scythe; the Grim Reaper.e.g.“When death walked in, a chill spread through the room.”
- The collapse or end of something.e.g.“England scored a goal at the death to even the score at one all.”
- The collapse or end of something.; A cause of great stress, exhaustion, embarrassment, or another negative condition (for someone).e.g.“This bake sale is going to be the death of me!”
- Spiritual lifelessness.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- corpse 87% match — A dead body, especially that of a human as opposed to an animal. vs death →
- immortal 86% match — Not susceptible to death; living forever; never dying. vs death →
- perish 85% match — To decay and disappear; to waste away to nothing. vs death →
- fatality 85% match — The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control. vs death →
- starve 85% match — To die because of lack of food or of not eating. vs death →
- exanimate 84% match — Lifeless, not or no longer living, dead. vs death →
- mourn 84% match — To express sadness or sorrow for; to grieve over (especially a death). vs death →
- defunction 84% match — Death. vs death →