1. the end of life; the permanent cessation of all biological functions in a living organism
生命的終結；生物體所有生物功能的永久停止
The old man faced his death with dignity.
那位老人尊嚴地面對他的死亡。
The cause of death was a heart attack.
死因是心臟病發作。
Death Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
death
noun
快速理解
What does "Death" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Death"?
「death」指生命終結的狀態或事件，也常引申指某事物的毀滅或終結。
- 1
生命終結
EN: the end of life
翻譯: 指生物體生命活動的永久停止。
- 2
死亡事件
EN: the event of dying
翻譯: 指某人死亡這個具體事件或事實。
- 3
毀滅或終結
EN: the end or destruction of something
翻譯: 引申指某種狀態、制度、想法等的徹底結束或毀滅。
- 4
死亡狀態
EN: the state of being dead
翻譯: 指生命終結後所處的狀態。
小提醒：注意「death」是不可數名詞，通常不加冠詞「a」。例如："He faced death bravely."（他勇敢地面對死亡。）而非 "He faced a death bravely."。但在指特定種類或具體事件時，有時可加修飾語，如 "a painful death"（痛苦的死亡）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Death" in English）
How to pronounce "Death" in English?"Death" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Death" from YouTube Videos
Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
Stanford
“My third story is about death.”
(1 out of 129)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Death"?How does "Death" change by context?
2. the state of being dead
死亡的狀態
He was unconscious and very close to death.
他失去意識，非常接近死亡。
The legend says the hero cheated death three times.
傳說這位英雄三次逃過了死亡。
3. the permanent end or destruction of something
某事物的永久終結或毀滅
The failure of the project meant the death of his business idea.
專案的失敗意味著他商業構想的終結。
The popularity of streaming services led to the death of many video rental stores.
串流服務的普及導致許多影音出租店的消亡。
4. a personification of death, often depicted as a skeleton or grim reaper
死亡的擬人化形象，常被描繪成骷髏或死神
In the painting, Death is shown holding a scythe.
在這幅畫中，死神被描繪成手持鐮刀。
The knight challenged Death to a game of chess.
騎士向死神挑戰下棋。
5. a cause or manner of dying
死亡的原因或方式
Smoking is a leading preventable cause of death.
吸菸是可預防的主要死因之一。
He met a violent death at the hands of his enemies.
他死於敵人之手，下場慘烈。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Death"?How to make natural sentences with "Death"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| death + of + [person/thing] | （某人或某物）的死亡 | The death of the king plunged the nation into mourning. (國王之死讓全國陷入哀悼。) |
| death + from + [cause] | 因（某原因）而死 | His death from pneumonia was sudden. (他因肺炎去世來得很突然。) |
| death + by + [means] | 以（某種方式）死亡 | The official cause was death by drowning. (官方的死因是溺斃。) |
| be at death's door | 瀕臨死亡，生命垂危 | After the accident, he was at death's door for weeks. (事故後，他有數週時間生命垂危。) |
| put to death | 處死 | The tyrant ordered the rebels to be put to death. (暴君下令處死叛亂者。) |
| a matter of life and death | 生死攸關的事 | Getting this medicine to the village is a matter of life and death. (將這藥物送到村莊是生死攸關的事。) |
| fight to the death | 戰鬥至死，殊死搏鬥 | The two warriors vowed to fight to the death. (兩位戰士發誓要戰鬥至死。) |
用法說明
How is "Death" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Death"?
death of vs death from
- death of 通常用於指出誰死亡，焦點在於逝去的生命個體。
- death from 則用於說明死因，指出導致死亡的具體原因或來源。
- 當句子中需要同時提及逝者和死因時，結構常為 the death of [某人] from [原因]。
對比例句： EN: The death of the famous artist shocked the world. 翻譯: 這位著名藝術家的逝世震驚了世界。
EN:His death from heart failure was sudden.
翻譯:他因心臟衰竭而突然離世。
總結建議
在表達時，若想強調「誰」死了用 death of，想說明「因何」而死則用 death from。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Death" and similar words?How to choose "Death" vs alternatives?
death vs demise
「death」是描述生命終止最普遍、直接的中性詞彙；「demise」則較為正式、委婉，常用於書面或指重要人物、機構的結束。
death vs fatality
「death」泛指死亡本身；「fatality」特指災難、事故、戰爭等不幸事件中的死亡（案例），常用於統計或報告。
death vs passing
「death」是直接、中性的說法；「passing」是極度委婉、溫和的用語，帶有「逝去」、「安息」的安慰意味。
口語用法
How is "Death" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Death"?
引述
在轉述他人言論或想法時，常用來表示一種假設或誇張的說法。 EN: She said she'd rather face death than apologize to him. 翻譯: 她說她寧願去死也不要向他道歉。
EN:My boss acts like missing a deadline is the death of the project.
翻譯:我老闆表現得好像錯過截止日期，這個專案就完蛋了。
語氣強調
用於加強語氣，表達極度厭煩、無聊或強烈的情感，並非字面意義。 EN: This meeting is the death of me, it's so boring. 翻譯: 這個會議無聊死了，簡直要我的命。
EN:I'm bored to death waiting for the results.
翻譯:我等結果等到快無聊死了。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，作為一個短暫的停頓填充詞，通常帶有戲劇性或無奈的語氣。 EN: Well, death... I mean, taxes are the other certainty. 翻譯: 嗯，死亡嘛…我是說，稅收是另一個確切的事。
EN:It was a disaster, death... just a complete mess.
翻譯:那真是場災難，天啊…簡直一團糟。
注意：以上用法均屬口語或非正式場合，在正式寫作（如學術論文、官方報告）中應避免使用，應改用更精確、中性的詞彙。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Death"?What fixed phrases with "Death" should I remember?
death of
death of [someone/something]
…的死亡
death penalty
the death penalty
死刑
death toll
the death toll
死亡人數
near-death experience
a near-death experience
瀕死體驗
put to death
put [someone] to death
處死
death sentence
a death sentence
死刑判決
death row
on death row
死囚區
life and death
a matter of life and death
生死攸關
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Death"?Which "Death" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He died from a car accident death.
✓He died in a car accident.
The word 'death' is redundant when 'died' is already used. 'Die' already implies the event of death. Use 'die from/of + cause' or 'die in + event'.
×The death of his father was very sad to him.
✓His father's death was very sad for him.
While 'the death of...' is grammatically correct, the possessive form ('his father's death') is more common and natural in English for expressing personal loss.
×He is afraid of the death.
✓He is afraid of death.
'Death' as a general, abstract concept is usually used without an article ('the'). Use 'the death' only when referring to a specific instance (e.g., 'the death of the king').
×She was sentenced to death penalty.
✓She was sentenced to death.
'Death penalty' refers to the punishment as a legal concept. When talking about the sentence given to a person, we say 'sentenced to death'. 'Death' here functions as the name of the punishment.
×He is in death situation.
✓He is in a life-and-death situation. / He is in a mortal danger.
'Death' is not typically used as an adjective before 'situation'. Use fixed phrases like 'life-and-death situation' or 'mortal danger' to describe an extremely dangerous scenario.
×After his death, his family was very poor.
✓After his death, his family was left very poor.
Using the passive structure 'was left' or 'became' is more natural to show the resulting state caused by the death. The simple past 'was' can sound static and less connected to the event.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Death"?What are tense/participle forms of "Death"?