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Glite Dictionary
🔔 A death bell 🔔 To ring solemnly
to knell

to knell

9.9
To ring a bell slowly and sadly to announce a death or funeral
  • verb
  • /nɛl/
  • Literature
translation icon : tañer
  • As the news spread, the town's bell tower began to knell, signaling a time of mourning.

Examples

  • The church bell began to knell as the funeral procession approached.

  • Everyone stood silently while the bell continued to knell in remembrance of the lives lost.

  • And when thus dost ask my b essing, I'll knell down...

    King Lear (1988)

  • Marriott in one fell swoop just set the death stage, rang the death knell for Airbnb.

Synonyms

to toll
vsto knell
9 7.5

To ring slowly, as a bell often does at funerals

emphasizes solemn ringing that announces a death rather than mere slow signaling

Antonyms

to celebrate
∞ 1.4

To join fun events to mark a special day or achievement

Compounds

death knell
5 8.1

An event or sign that shows something will end

death knell
8.3

A bell rung to announce someone's death

How Solemn

to knell
  • Literature
9.9
to toll
9 7.5
to peal
1 6.4
to chime
61 3.0
to tinkle
15 3.9

Surface Forms

knell infinitive
knelled past
knelled past participle
knelling present participle
knells third person singular

Etymology

Knell as a verb comes from the same old English sound word and means 'to ring slowly' like a funeral bell, so when a bell knells it is literally sounding a warning or marking an end.