to give up the ghost

Examples

• All

• I'm really curious to see when they will finally give up the ghost.

  Blog text (8)

• A little more, it seems, and they'll give up the ghost.

  Fiction book (1996)

• Then, it's time to give up the ghost.

  Vulgar (2002)

• Saw him give up the ghost with my own eyes.

  The Birth of a Nation (2016)

• You might as well give up the ghost.

  Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)

• I, for one, will not miss them when they finally give up the ghost.

  Blog text (2)

• Then it was time, again, for my computer to give up the ghost.

  Blog text (4)

• Why don't ya give up the ghost?

  Oscar (1991)

• Without further ado, he gave up the ghost and died.

  Fiction book (1996)

• After battling illness for months, he finally gave up the ghost last night.

Synonyms

D

to die

vsto give up the ghost

∞ 1.0

To stop living and no longer be alive

adds informal humor and often implies a long decline beforehand

P

to pass

vsto give up the ghost

• Formal

537 3.8

To stop living

leans toward casual humor and often notes a long decline

P

to passed away

vsto give up the ghost

258 2.7

To die, said in a gentle or polite way

is informal and jokey rather than polite or gentle

P

to perish

vsto give up the ghost

• Formal

121 6.0

To die suddenly or violently, often in large numbers

suggests a slower failing over time rather than sudden violence

D

to decease

vsto give up the ghost

• Archaic

62 9.9

To stop living, used in formal or old language

is used jokingly and in informal everyday speech

G

to give out

vsto give up the ghost

57 4.1

To stop working or run out so nothing is left

is used jokingly for people and stresses an end after decline

C

to croak

vsto give up the ghost

• Slang

32 9.0

To die, said in a casual or joking way

keeps a milder humorous sense and highlights a slow end

E

to expire

vsto give up the ghost

• Formal

31 8.6

To die, often used in medical or formal speech

is informal and often used for humorous or casual effect

G

to go dead

vsto give up the ghost

27 3.9

To stop working or become suddenly silent

often implies a gradual ending after a long period of trouble

G

to give up

vsto give up the ghost

14 2.6

To stop working after being used for a long time

is applied humorously to people and often implies gradual decline

B

to bite the dust

vsto give up the ghost

• Informal

11 6.8

To stop working or fail completely

focuses on an end after long struggle rather than general failure

K

to kick the bucket

vsto give up the ghost

• Informal

7 8.6

To die, said in casual or joking speech

focuses more on an end after prolonged trouble than on tone

C

to conk

vsto give up the ghost

• Slang

6 9.0

To suddenly faint or fall unconscious

refers to a final end after struggle rather than temporary collapse

B

to buy the farm

vsto give up the ghost

• Slang

5 9.9

To die suddenly, often in an accident or during fighting

describes a slower end after struggle rather than sudden death

S

to snuff it

vsto give up the ghost

• Slang

2 9.9

To stop living and not come back

is more playful and sometimes gentler despite informal wording

P

to pop off

vsto give up the ghost

• Informal

1 9.1

To die, often said as a joke to make it seem less serious

stresses end after long decline rather than just casual speech

Y

to yield up the ghost

vsto give up the ghost

• Archaic

9.8

To stop working or to die after a long time of getting worse

is less formal and often humorous in casual speech

C

to cash in one's chips

vsto give up the ghost

• Informal

9.6

To die in a light, not serious way

emphasizes an end after struggle or long decline rather than only joking

Antonyms

L

to live

∞ 1.0

To continue to be alive

R

to revive

71 4.1

To make a person conscious again after fainting

How Final

to become extinct

15 4.5

to perish

• Formal

121 6.0

to give up the ghost

• Informal

4 8.1

to die

∞ 1.0

to fade away

69 3.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology