to snuff it
2
9.9
- phrasal verb
- /snʌf ɪt/
- Slang
:
estirar la pata
- I can't believe he snuffed it last week; he seemed so healthy.
- go and snuff it
Examples
-
And then all I can think about is, like, trying to snuff it.
-
The horrible killing sickness had whooshed up... and turned the joy of battle... into a feeling I was going to snuff it.
-
About to snuff it, and still...
-
But I did not snuff it.
-
If I had snuffed it... I would not be here to tell what I told have.
-
You saying he didn't snuff it?
-
When I snuff it, bury me quickly, then let the carousels begin.
Blog text (31) -
Yeah, she snuffed it.
-
When she heard the doctor say he might snuff it, she burst into tears.
-
He talked about life and death while joking that he was ready to snuff it.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To stop living and no longer be alive
∞
5.6
To stop working or start to fail
537
3.8
To stop living
121
6.0
To die suddenly or violently, often in large numbers
62
9.9
To stop living, used in formal or old language
57
9.9
To die suddenly from an accident or attack
52
8.4
Die suddenly, often from shock or extreme tiredness
32
9.0
To die, said in a casual or joking way
31
8.6
To die, often used in medical or formal speech
10
8.6
To die
8
3.8
To die peacefully in a gentle, respectful way
7
8.6
To die, said in casual or joking speech
5
9.9
To die suddenly, often in an accident or during fighting
4
8.1
To die or stop working after a long time of problems
2
7.9
To stop living
1
9.1
To die, often said as a joke to make it seem less serious
1
8.5
To stop living
1
9.7
To stop living as a natural part of life
To die in a light, not serious way
To stop working or to die after a long time of getting worse
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
snuff + it
The slang meaning 'to die' is not directly recoverable from the literal parts: 'snuff' (an uncommon verb usually meaning 'extinguish' in contexts like candles) plus 'it' does not transparently yield the life-ending sense for a B1 learner. The expression is idiomatic and slangy, with a metaphorical shift that requires prior exposure rather than simple composition.
Etymology
The idiom snuff it may come from the old action of putting out a candle: people used to snuff a flame to stop it, so the image of 'putting out' a light became a way to talk about ending life, and now snuff it means 'to die'.