Idioms can turn even the heaviest of topics into something a bit more digestible. When it comes to the idea of dying, cultures around the world have created countless expressions to soften the blow, lighten the mood, or even add a touch of dark humor. These idioms don’t just describe death—they reflect how we cope with it, joke about it, and make sense of it in daily conversations.
In this article, you’ll explore a unique and insightful collection of idioms related to dying. Some are light-hearted and cheeky, while others are poetic or reflective. Understanding these phrases can help you appreciate the richness of language and how people use creativity to talk about life’s most serious moments. Whether you’re writing a story, watching a film, or having a heart-to-heart, these expressions are both eye-opening and thought-provoking.
Let’s explore 44 colorful idioms that all touch on the topic of passing away—and learn how to use them with meaning and care.
Idioms for Dying
1. Kick the bucket
Meaning: To die.
In a Sentence: My grandpa kicked the bucket last year, but his stories live on in our hearts.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, Drop dead
2. Bite the dust
Meaning: To die or fail completely.
In a Sentence: Another character bit the dust in the final episode of the show.
Other Ways to Say: Get killed, Fall down dead
3. Pass away
Meaning: A gentle way of saying someone has died.
In a Sentence: Her aunt passed away peacefully in her sleep last night.
Other Ways to Say: Depart, Rest in peace
4. Meet one’s maker
Meaning: To die, especially with the idea of facing judgment or the afterlife.
In a Sentence: The villain met his maker at the end of the action-packed finale.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Face the end
5. Cross over
Meaning: To move from life to death, often with spiritual undertones.
In a Sentence: She believed her dog had crossed over to a better place.
Other Ways to Say: Pass on, Enter the afterlife
6. Give up the ghost
Meaning: To stop living or functioning.
In a Sentence: After years of struggling, the old car finally gave up the ghost.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Stop working
7. Go to a better place
Meaning: A comforting way to say someone has died and moved on to peace.
In a Sentence: We like to think Grandma went to a better place where she’s no longer in pain.
Other Ways to Say: Rest peacefully, Find eternal rest
8. Rest in peace
Meaning: A respectful phrase used when someone has died.
In a Sentence: May all the victims of the accident rest in peace.
Other Ways to Say: Sleep well, Be at peace
9. Sleep with the fishes
Meaning: To be dead and possibly disposed of, often used in mafia slang.
In a Sentence: The gangster warned him he’d be sleeping with the fishes if he talked.
Other Ways to Say: Be killed, Disappear
10. Check out
Meaning: To die, in a casual or humorous tone.
In a Sentence: He checked out in his 90s, after living a long and wild life.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Leave life’s hotel
11. Depart this life
Meaning: A formal or poetic way to say someone has died.
In a Sentence: The poet departed this life, leaving behind a legacy of powerful words.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, Leave this world
12. Go six feet under
Meaning: To be buried, meaning the person has died.
In a Sentence: He went six feet under before his secrets ever came out.
Other Ways to Say: Be buried, Die
13. Take a dirt nap
Meaning: A sarcastic or humorous way of saying someone has died and been buried.
In a Sentence: The outlaw took a dirt nap after the final showdown.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Hit the grave
14. Breathe one’s last
Meaning: To take the final breath before death.
In a Sentence: Surrounded by loved ones, he breathed his last in peace.
Other Ways to Say: Die peacefully, Take the last breath
15. Cash in one’s chips
Meaning: To die, using gambling terminology.
In a Sentence: After a risky life full of adventures, he finally cashed in his chips.
Other Ways to Say: Leave the game of life, Die
16. Exit stage left
Meaning: To leave dramatically or permanently, often referring to dying.
In a Sentence: The main character exited stage left at the end of the play—forever.
Other Ways to Say: Leave, Die theatrically
17. Ride off into the sunset
Meaning: To die or leave in a peaceful, often heroic way.
In a Sentence: The cowboy rode off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
Other Ways to Say: Depart peacefully, End the journey
18. Go belly up
Meaning: Originally about dead fish floating upside down—means to die or fail.
In a Sentence: The company went belly up, and so did the dreams of its founder.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse, Die
19. Be at peace
Meaning: To be free from pain and suffering after death.
In a Sentence: We hope she’s finally at peace after her long illness.
Other Ways to Say: Rest peacefully, No longer suffer
20. Pop one’s clogs
Meaning: A British idiom for dying, often used in humorous contexts.
In a Sentence: He popped his clogs while on vacation—what a way to go.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Pass on
21. Go to the great beyond
Meaning: A poetic way of referring to death and the afterlife.
In a Sentence: She went to the great beyond after a life full of love and laughter.
Other Ways to Say: Enter the afterlife, Pass into eternity
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22. Shuffle off this mortal coil
Meaning: To die; this poetic phrase comes from Shakespeare.
In a Sentence: The poet described his own death as shuffling off this mortal coil.
Other Ways to Say: Leave the world, Pass on
23. Join the choir invisible
Meaning: A humorous or poetic way to say someone has died.
In a Sentence: He’s joined the choir invisible, singing eternally in the skies.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Join the afterlife
24. Turn up one’s toes
Meaning: To die, often used with a touch of dry humor.
In a Sentence: The moment he turned up his toes, the whole village came to mourn.
Other Ways to Say: Pass away, Expire
25. Be pushing up daisies
Meaning: To be buried in the ground after death.
In a Sentence: He’s been pushing up daisies for a decade now, but his legend lives on.
Other Ways to Say: Be dead, Lie in the grave
26. Join the departed
Meaning: To die and become one of those who’ve passed on.
In a Sentence: She’s now joined the departed and rests beside her ancestors.
Other Ways to Say: Enter the afterlife, Pass away
27. Be called home
Meaning: To die, especially in religious or spiritual contexts.
In a Sentence: After years of illness, he was finally called home.
Other Ways to Say: Return to heaven, Rest with God
28. Walk into the light
Meaning: To die and move toward peace or the afterlife.
In a Sentence: As she slipped away, it felt like she was walking into the light.
Other Ways to Say: Cross over, Enter peace
29. Lay down one’s life
Meaning: To die, often in the context of sacrifice.
In a Sentence: The soldier laid down his life for his comrades.
Other Ways to Say: Sacrifice life, Die honorably
30. Face the final curtain
Meaning: To approach or experience death.
In a Sentence: He faced the final curtain with grace and no regrets.
Other Ways to Say: Meet the end, Conclude life
31. Breathe one’s last breath
Meaning: To take the final breath before dying.
In a Sentence: She breathed her last breath surrounded by loved ones.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Pass on
32. Take the long sleep
Meaning: A poetic or softened way of saying someone has died.
In a Sentence: He took the long sleep and left the pain behind.
Other Ways to Say: Sleep forever, Rest eternally
33. Go into the great unknown
Meaning: To die and enter whatever lies beyond.
In a Sentence: No one knows what happens when we go into the great unknown.
Other Ways to Say: Pass into mystery, Enter the afterlife
34. Climb the golden staircase
Meaning: To die and ascend to heaven.
In a Sentence: She climbed the golden staircase after a lifetime of faith.
Other Ways to Say: Go to heaven, Enter paradise
35. Drop off the twig
Meaning: A humorous or quirky way to say someone has died.
In a Sentence: He finally dropped off the twig after years of defying age.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Fall away
36. Be no more
Meaning: A direct way of saying someone is dead.
In a Sentence: The great thinker is no more, but his words remain.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Cease to exist
37. Pass into legend
Meaning: To die and become remembered or famous.
In a Sentence: She passed into legend after her heroic final act.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Become immortalized
38. Buy the farm
Meaning: A slang term for dying, often used with humor or in military contexts.
In a Sentence: He bought the farm during his last mission overseas.
Other Ways to Say: Die in action, Be killed
39. Go out with a bang
Meaning: To die or finish something in a dramatic or memorable way.
In a Sentence: He sure went out with a bang—skydiving on his 90th birthday!
Other Ways to Say: End dramatically, Die in style
40. Get your wings
Meaning: To die and become an angel in a spiritual or symbolic way.
In a Sentence: We like to think she got her wings and is watching over us.
Other Ways to Say: Go to heaven, Become an angel
41. Final ride
Meaning: A symbolic phrase for death, especially in cowboy or biker culture.
In a Sentence: He took his final ride under the wide, open sky.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Last journey
42. Clock out
Meaning: To die, with the idea of finishing life like ending a work shift.
In a Sentence: He clocked out after a life of hard work and love.
Other Ways to Say: Sign off, Die peacefully
43. Ride the pale horse
Meaning: A biblical reference to death (from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse).
In a Sentence: When the sickness came, many were forced to ride the pale horse.
Other Ways to Say: Die, Meet death
44. Step into eternity
Meaning: To die and begin whatever comes after.
In a Sentence: She stepped into eternity with grace and faith.
Other Ways to Say: Enter forever, Pass on
Exercise to Practice
Match the idioms with their meanings:
- _________ – To be buried after death.
- _________ – To face death in a peaceful and final way.
- _________ – To die and leave the world behind in a dramatic way.
- _________ – A poetic way of saying someone entered the afterlife.
- _________ – To leave life like ending a work shift.
- _________ – To die in battle or as an act of sacrifice.
- _________ – A humorous British way to say someone died.
- _________ – To pass away in a gentle or spiritual sense.
- _________ – To breathe for the last time before dying.
- _________ – A mafia slang for being killed and dumped.
Word Bank:
Clock out, Step into eternity, Lay down one’s life, Breathe one’s last breath, Sleep with the fishes, Go six feet under, Pop one’s clogs, Ride off into the sunset, Cross over, Face the final curtain
Answers:
- Go six feet under
- Face the final curtain
- Ride off into the sunset
- Step into eternity
- Clock out
- Lay down one’s life
- Pop one’s clogs
- Cross over
- Breathe one’s last breath
- Sleep with the fishes
Conclusion
Talking about death isn’t always easy, but idioms give us a way to approach the subject with creativity, respect, and even a touch of humor. These expressions soften the blow of tough conversations and reveal the cultural richness behind how we view the end of life.
Whether you’re reading a novel, writing a heartfelt tribute, or simply curious about language, understanding idioms for dying can help you connect more deeply with stories and emotions. Use these phrases carefully and thoughtfully, and you’ll find they can add depth and sensitivity to your words—because even in saying goodbye, language finds a way to speak beautifully.
