Happy Halloween! Twenty Idioms about Death

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It’s said that on All Hallow’s Eve, for just one night, the spirits will rise and roam the earth again. If you’re scared – you’re not alone. The fear of death is so widespread in our culture that the English language is full of ways of referring to death that, in many cases, mean you don’t have to use the word itself. Here are twenty idioms about death:

as dead as a dodo – totally dead/extinct
as dead as a doornail – obviously dead
belly-up – dead
beyond the veil – in the unknown state of life after death
dropping like flies – dying in large numbers
food for worms/worm food – a dead (and buried) person
gone to glory – gone to death or destruction
pushing up the daisies – dead and buried
six feet under – dead and buried
sleeping with the fishes – dead
snuffed out – killed suddenly
someone’s number’s up/hour’s come – the time has come when someone is doomed to death, suffering, or disaster
to be on one’s last legs – to be approaching the end of one’s life
to come to/meet a sticky end – to die in an unpleasant way due to the consequences of ill-judged actions
to croak – to die
to have one foot in the grave – to be near death due to old age or illness
to kick the bucket – to die
to make the ultimate sacrifice – to give one’s life to a cause or to help someone else
to pop one’s clogs – to die
wiped out – extinct

If you enjoyed this post, why not check out our other articles about idioms?

Happy Halloween!

30 Oct 2017
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Happy Halloween! Twenty Idioms about Death

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