English Explanatory Dictionary

give up the ghost

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To cease clinging to life; to die.
  2. To quit; to cease functioning.
  3. To cede a commitment to or identification with.

Pronunciation

en-au-give up the ghost.ogg

Word forms

give up the ghost gives up the ghost giving up the ghost gave up the ghost given up the ghost

Etymology

Literally, to release one's spirit or soul from the body at death. From Middle English "gaf up þe gost", "ȝave up þe gost", from Old English phrases as "hēo āġeaf hire gāst" (literally, "she gave up her ghost [spirit]"), "þæt iċ gāst mīnne āġifan mōte" (literally, "that I must give up my ghost [spirit]"). Compare German den Geist aufgeben, Dutch de geest geven, French rendre l'âme. Perhaps most notable and survived in modern English for being used in traditional translation during the death of Jesus during His crucifixion

Synonyms

yield up the ghost yield the ghost assume room temperature auger in be called home be gathered to one's fathers be like the the One be no more be with Jesus be with the Lord bite the big one bite the biscuit bite the dust buy the farm buy it cark it cash in cash in one's chips check out close one's eyes for the last time code conk out croak cross over cross rainbow bridge cross the Great Divide cross the Styx darken decease decompose dematerialize depart disincarnate draw one's last breath drop off the hooks exit expire flatline forfare give one's all give up the ghost go for a burton go gentle into that good night go out go over to the majority go the way of all flesh go the way of the dinosaurs go the way of the dodo go the way of the dodo bird go to glory go to one's reward go west hand in one's checks hand in one's dinner pail hop the twig join the choir invisible keel over kick the bucket kick off knock off

Related words

draw one's last breath give up
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on G Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary