Many people feel uncomfortable talking about death directly. Could this be the reason why we have so many euphemisms and idioms about death in the English language?
If you’re a non-native English speaker then it’s important to be able to recognize these death idioms so you know that what the speaker is talking about. It’s also essential to know in which situations it’s appropriate to use them, since some of the expressions are more formal than others.
Take a look at this list of idioms for death, with examples, to better understand how to use them.
Idioms about being close to death or narrowly avoiding it
First of all, let’s look at some idioms to use when someone is close to dying, or they have been in a situation in which they almost died.
At death’s door
Someone who is at death’s door is very close to death.
“He’s at death’s door; we should go and say our last goodbyes to him.”
Fading away
Possibly the most respectful and tactful way to describe someone near to death is fading away.
“I can see Grandma fading away day by day.”
A similar saying is withering away. You can read more about this on our page about flower idioms.
One foot in the grave
A less formal way to say that someone’s close to death is to say that they have one foot in the grave. Imagine this literally- it means that they are already half way into their grave (the place where a person is buried).
“I wasn’t really surprised to hear that our neighbour had passed away; he’d had one foot in the grave for years.”
This might be used as a joke or to talk about someone in a casual way.
A brush with death
If someone has a brush with death, they survived a situation where they could have died.
“Paulo had a brush with death when he drove his car off the road.”
You can use these idioms about health to talk about someone’s recovery after an illness or accident.
On your last legs
Someone who is nearing the end of their life may also be described as on their last legs. However, this can also be used to describe someone who is exhausted and needs a rest. Additionally, you could describe an object in this way.
“Paul’s grandfather looks like he’s on his last legs.”
“I haven’t stopped all day; I’m on my last legs. Just let me sit down for ten minutes.”
“I think my car is on its last legs; it keeps stopping for no reason.”
This is just one of many English idioms with body parts.
Cheat death
Someone who cheats death avoids a fatal accident or survives a very dangerous situation.
“My boyfriend is a stunt driver. I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s cheated death.”
Formal idioms for death
When somebody has died and you want to speak about it respectfully and tactfully, you can use one of these euphemisms for death:
Pass away / pass on
Not all of these idioms for death are appropriate to use in every situation. Fortunately, this one is widely used and considered a respectful way to talk about someone dying. Simply say that the person has passed away or passed on.
“It is with great sadness that I announce that Mr. Jones has passed away.”
“My grandfather passed on when I was 14 years old.”
You may also refer to someone’s passing rather than their death.
“Gary’s passing was a big shock for Linda.”
Discover some sadness idioms which you can use to describe your feelings when you lose a loved one.
Breathe your last breath
Another death idiom that is fairly formal and respectful is breathe your last breath.
“Julie breathed her last breath at 3:10pm on Monday, April 12th.”
Be taken from
You might also talk about someone being taken from their loved ones. This is another idiom about death that is acceptable for formal situations.
“Alan was far too young when he was taken from us.”
Meet your maker
If the deceased was religious then you might talk about them going to meet their maker or being with their maker. This idiom for death can also be used in informal situations regardless of how religious the person was.
“She’s with her maker now, may she rest in peace.”
This is alluding to the idea that now they have died, they have had an encounter with God.
Be with the Lord
In Christianity specifically, you may say that someone has gone to be with the Lord or is with the Lord.
“We feel comforted to know that Susan is with the Lord now.”
“Alejandro went to be with the Lord at 4pm on Sunday.”
Rest in peace
Rest in peace is a comforting expression to use when somebody has died. It is a way of wishing them well in whatever afterlife you may believe in, or simply hoping that their soul is at rest now.
“This weekend I’m attending the funeral of my great-aunt Judith, may she rest in peace.
This saying is often abbreviated to RIP, especially on gravestones. Interestingly, it is actually a Latin abbreviation of the phrase requiescat in pace. It just so happens that the English translation uses the same initials.
Colloquial death idioms
There are a few idioms about death that are not suitable to use in serious or formal situations. Only use these if you are certain that a light-hearted or comedic tone is suitable.
Pushing up (the) daisies
In informal situations, you might say someone is pushing up (the) daisies.
“Joe lived a long and happy life but now he’s pushing up the daisies.”
“If you’re not careful you’ll be pushing up the daisies soon.”
Drop dead
If someone drops dead, they die suddenly and unexpectedly (from natural causes rather than in an accident).
“She was out walking when she dropped dead, just like that!”
You may also hear this used as slang to tell someone to go away and leave you alone, but it should only be used with someone you know well who won’t take it literally.
“I’m fed up of being the only one who does the housework. If you think I’m picking your dirty clothes up off the floor again, you can drop dead!”
On your last legs
Someone or something that is on its/their last legs is close to dying or failing to work. Although more often used to refer to machines breaking down, it could informally be used to talk about a person who is close to death.
“I thought Granddad was on his last legs but he seems determined to stick around for a while!”
Dropping like flies
When a lot of people die in a short period of time, for example because of an epidemic or outbreak of an illness, you can say they are dropping like flies.
“This outbreak of bird flu is making people drop like flies.”
“When we get an unusually cold winter, elderly people start dropping like flies.”
Discover some more idioms involving animals.
Pop your clogs
Another informal idiom for death is pop your clogs.
“Our goldfish popped his clogs last week.”
“It’s 20 years to the day since Lucy popped her clogs.”
Kick the bucket
Very similar to pop your clogs is kick the bucket.
“Sam achieved his goal of climbing Mount Everest before he kicked the bucket.”
Joking about death?
In some cultures, death is a taboo subject and people avoid talking about it directly. Does it seem odd that we have so many idioms to talk about death in English; particularly informal ones that may seem rather disrespectful to the deceased?
If in doubt, stick to the ones that we’ve highlighted as more respectful or formal. You might also find it helpful to browse these idioms about bad things happening.
The colloquial idioms about death may be used to talk about someone that neither you or your listener knew very well. For example, when speaking to a neighbor you might say “I heard that the old man at number 67 popped his clogs last week”.
If you’re offering condolences to a grieving widow, it would definitely not be appropriate to say “I’m so sorry to hear that your husband has kicked the bucket”. In this situation, you should say something like “I’m so sorry to hear that your husband has passed away” or “I would like to offer my condolences on the passing on of your husband”.
We hope this helps your understanding of how we use idioms about death, but if you have any questions you can leave a comment below. Next, you may want to discover some idioms about life instead!
