- [countable] the fact of somebody dying or being killed
- the anniversary of his wife’s death
- his sudden/untimely/premature death
- the tragic death of a child
- The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
- It is believed she died a violent death.
- He suffered a slow and painful death.
- death from something an increase in deaths from cancer
Extra ExamplesTopics Life stagesa2- He met his death two years later.
- He witnessed the death of his mother from tuberculosis.
- Her death came at the age of 82.
- How far would they go to avenge the death of their friend?
- More deaths occur in winter.
- More than 30% of all cancer deaths in the country can be attributed to smoking.
- Obesity is a leading cause of preventable deaths.
- On Samuel's death, the farm passed to his sons.
- Police report a decrease in violent deaths.
- Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
- Women accounted for 2% of all combat deaths.
- She faked her own death so he couldn't find her.
- The bombing resulted in many civilian deaths.
- They are still mourning the death of their daughter.
- The brutal attack resulted in the man's death.
- Two deaths from cholera have been reported.
- a service to commemorate the death of thousands of soldiers
- an increase in drug overdose deaths
- The annual total of road deaths is falling.
- The president's untimely death has thrown the country into chaos.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- early
- premature
- untimely
- …
- bring
- cause
- lead to
- …
- come
- happen
- occur
- …
- rate
- count
- toll
- …
- after (somebody’s) death
- at death
- before (somebody’s) death
- …
- cause of death
- a matter of life and death
- a matter of life or death
- …
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- [uncountable] the end of life; the state of being dead
- Police are trying to establish the cause of death.
- The disease can cause death unless the patient is treated promptly.
- Do you believe in life after death?
- He was sentenced to death (= to be executed).
- to death Millions of people starved to death (= were killed by lack of food).
- He's drinking himself to death (= so that it will kill him).
- to beat/kick/stab, etc. somebody to death
Extra Examples- Four prisoners were under sentence of death.
- Touching the wires means instant death.
- death by starvation
- Poor living conditions can lead to early death.
- a verdict of accidental death
- He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death.
- People can sue for wrongful death.
- It was clear that the dog was near death.
- His face looked more peaceful in death than it had during his last days.
- Incest was punishable by death.
- The average age at death of plague victims was 14.
- The actor has received death threats since appearing in the controversial film.
- a death notice in the newspaper
- Your next of kin will receive death benefit if you die in an accident.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- early
- premature
- untimely
- …
- bring
- cause
- lead to
- …
- come
- happen
- occur
- …
- rate
- count
- toll
- …
- after (somebody’s) death
- at death
- before (somebody’s) death
- …
- cause of death
- a matter of life and death
- a matter of life or death
- …
- [uncountable] the stopping of biochemical processes of life in a cell or tissue, in a way that cannot be reversed
- This process becomes irreversible and leads to cell death.
- [uncountable] death of something the permanent end or destruction of something
- the death of all my plans
- the death of fascism
- By 1740 European feudalism was in its death throes.
- Delivering on time is a matter of life and death for a small company.
- (also Death)[uncountable] (literary) the power that destroys life, imagined as human in form
- Death is often shown in paintings as a human skeleton.
- Death marched in and took him away.
see also sudden death
Word OriginOld English dēath, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dood and German Tod, also to die.
Idioms
See death in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee death in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat death’s door
- (often humorous) so ill that you may die
- I suppose you won’t be coming to the party if you’re at death’s door!
be the death of somebody
- (informal) to worry or upset somebody very much
- Those kids will be the death of me.
catch your death (of cold)
- (old-fashioned, informal) to catch a very bad cold
cheat death
- (often used in newspapers) to survive in a situation where you could have died
dice with death
- (informal) to risk your life by doing something that you know is dangerousTopics Dangerc2
die a/the death
- (British English, informal) to fail completely
- The play got terrible reviews and quickly died a death.
do something to death
- to do or perform something so often that people become tired of seeing or hearing it
- That joke's been done to death.
a fate worse than death
- (often humorous) a terrible thing that could happen
- At the last minute the hero saves her from a fate worse than death.
Extra Examples- Getting married seemed a fate worse than death.
- Obeying her parents' wishes for her life seemed a fate worse than death.
fight to the death/finish
- to fight until one of the two people or groups is dead, or until one person or group defeats the other
- The soldiers were prepared to fight to the death if they had to.
flog something to death
- (British English, informal) to use an idea, a story, etc. so often that it is no longer interesting
- The story has been flogged to death in the press.
frighten/scare somebody to death
- (informal) to frighten somebody very much
- Spiders frighten him to death.
hang/hold on for/like grim death (British English)
(also hang/hold on for dear life North American English, British English)
- (informal) to hold somebody/something very tightly or keep something in a very determined way because you are afraid
- You get a job, then you get a mortgage and then you hang on like grim death to your job to pay off the mortgage.
the kiss of death
- (informal, especially humorous) an event that seems good, but is certain to make something else fail
- An award can be the kiss of death for a writer.
- That TV commercial was the kiss of death to his career as a serious actor.
life after death
- the possibility or belief that people continue to exist in some form after they die
- Do you believe in life after death?
look/feel like death warmed up (British English)
(North American English like death warmed over)
- (informal) to look or feel very ill or tired
a matter of life and/or death
- used to describe a situation that is very important or serious
- You mustn't let anyone know— it's a matter of life and death.
- These talks are a matter of life or death for the factory.
put somebody to death
- to kill somebody as a punishment synonym execute
- The prisoner will be put to death at dawn.
to death
- extremely; very much
- to be bored to death
- I'm sick to death of your endless criticism.
to the death
- until somebody is dead
- a fight to the death
Check pronunciation:
death