Demise
Death; the end or failure of something
nounDemise
Death; the end or failure of something
nounImagine This
Beth is at her friend’s pet mice’s funeral. She says with a horrible accent, "The death of the pet mice leads to demise of your friend’s liveliness."
Sounds Like
dih-MIZE
Looks Like
De-ice
Remember This
Many years ago, during a snowy morning, a plane crash in Washington, D.C. caused many deaths because the plane was not properly de-iced.
Other Forms
Connect With
De- (prefix meaning down or away); often signals a negative or opposite action. Related words: decrease, decay, decline, decompose, deform, deceit, defeat.
Note
Demise is a formal term for death or the end of something (such as a company or project). Do not confuse with de-ice (to remove ice) or with decease (an older or legal-style word for death).
Study Deeper
- The sudden demise of the aging monarch shocked the nation.
- The startup faced its demise after the investor pulled out.
From Old French demise, from Latin demissus 'let down, sent away', past participle of demittere. The sense 'death' developed in legal contexts (transfer of property upon death).
De- means down; imagine pushing something down until it ends—demise is the end.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).