Synonyms of demise

demise 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈmīz 

1

as in death

the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities

inherited all of the estate upon the sudden demise of his grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• death
• fate
• passing
• doom
• dissolution
• end
• decease
• grave
• exit
• expiration
• destruction
• suicide
• passage
• sleep
• curtains
• expiry
• assassination
• quietus
• great divide
• fatality
• ending
• casualty
• martyrdom
• execution
• annihilation
• extermination
• killing
• slaughter
• self-destruction
• ruin
• massacre
• self-slaughter
• self-murder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• birth
• existence
• life
• creation
• rise
• nativity
• genesis
• origination

2

as in termination

the act of ceasing to exist

the gradual demise of the Roman Empire over the course of several centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

• death
• termination
• dissolution
• destruction
• cessation
• dispersion
• expiration
• ending
• end
• passing
• expiry
• conclusion
• doom
• discontinuance
• suicide
• shutdown
• decease
• stoppage
• close
• halt
• lapse
• annihilation
• ruin
• finish
• stop
• shutoff
• surcease
• quietus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beginning
• creation
• birth
• onset
• existence
• morning
• start
• inception
• genesis
• dawn
• commencement
• launch
• outset
• alpha
• prolongation
• persistence
• incipiency
• incipience
• institution
• initiation
• inauguration
• origination

3

as in downfall

a loss of status

after her demise as the doyenne of New York society, the mere mention of her name was regarded as a faux pas

Synonyms & Similar Words

• downfall
• down
• setback
• decline
• fall
• collapse
• disappointment
• reversal
• defeat
• flameout
• comedown
• breakdown
• descent
• dégringolade
• undoing
• crash
• Götterdämmerung
• humiliation
• burnout
• meltdown
• ruin
• disgrace
• nadir
• abasement
• bottom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rise
• up
• progress
• ascent
• advance
• exaltation
• aggrandizement
• headway
• flower
• prime
• heyday

demise

2 of 2

verb

as in to die

to stop living

our much beloved, recently demised leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

• die
• fall
• perish
• end
• exit
• succumb
• pass (on)
• depart
• disappear
• pass away
• expire
• check out
• buy it
• decease
• part
• go
• step out
• fade
• kick off
• kick in
• croak
• drop
• buy the farm
• snuff it
• peg out
• pop off
• flatline
• bite the dust
• give up the ghost
• kick the bucket
• fail
• conk (out)
• dry up
• predecease
• consume

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• live
• come to
• breathe
• revive
• be
• exist
• linger
• flourish
• thrive
• prosper
• subsist

Examples of demise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The demise of a key player whose overarching goal was the destruction of Israel will alter the course of the conflict, others say, but less than conclusively. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2024

While Boeing carries much blame for its demise, notably careless quality control in aircraft maintenance that caused a number of accidents and near accidents, government policy and union demands assure there will be no recovery. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024

Verb

Ann, who’s starring in a new opera at Disney Hall, embraces her character’s nightly demise with a grand passion that her audiences find cathartic. —Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2021

Sadly, the bankruptcy of the company’s battery supplier A123 Systems in 2012 led to the Fisker Automotive’s demise a year later. —James Morris, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2021