Dying is a universal part of life, and throughout history, people have used idioms to discuss it with sensitivity, humor, or solemnity. These expressions can soften the topic or provide poetic ways to talk about loss.

1. Kick the Bucket

Meaning: To die.
Example: “He always joked that he wanted to travel the world before he kicked the bucket.”
Tone: Informal, humorous.
Other ways to say it: Pass away, meet one’s end.

2. Bite the Dust

Meaning: To die or fail.
Example: “Many soldiers bit the dust in the battle.”
Tone: Casual, sometimes humorous.
Other ways to say it: Fall in battle, perish.

3. Pass Away

Meaning: A polite way to say someone has died.
Example: “Her grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep.”
Tone: Respectful, formal.
Other ways to say it: Depart, be laid to rest.

4. Breathe One’s Last

Meaning: To take a final breath before dying.
Example: “The old king breathed his last, surrounded by his family.”
Tone: Poetic, solemn.
Other ways to say it: Draw a final breath, expire.

5. Meet One’s Maker

Meaning: To die and face judgment.
Example: “He lived a long life and was ready to meet his maker.”
Tone: Religious, serious.
Other ways to say it: Return to God, go to the afterlife.

6. Pushing Up Daisies

Meaning: Dead and buried.
Example: “If I don’t start exercising, I’ll be pushing up daisies soon.”
Tone: Lighthearted, humorous.
Other ways to say it: Six feet under, resting in peace.

7. Go to a Better Place

Meaning: To die and enter an afterlife.
Example: “We believe she went to a better place, free from pain.”
Tone: Comforting, hopeful.
Other ways to say it: Move on, enter heaven.

8. Join the Choir Invisible

Meaning: To die.
Example: “His spirit joined the choir invisible, but his music lives on.”
Tone: Poetic, old-fashioned.
Other ways to say it: Cross over, become one with the universe.

9. Take a Dirt Nap

Meaning: To be buried after death.
Example: “He joked that he wanted to avoid taking a dirt nap for as long as possible.”
Tone: Dark humor, informal.
Other ways to say it: Rest in the earth, sleep forever.

10. Cross Over

Meaning: To transition from life to death.
Example: “She peacefully crossed over surrounded by her family.”
Tone: Spiritual, gentle.
Other ways to say it: Move on, enter the afterlife.

11. Ride Off Into the Sunset

Meaning: To die, often peacefully.
Example: “He lived a good life and rode off into the sunset at the age of 90.”
Tone: Poetic, cinematic.
Other ways to say it: Depart, fade away.

12. Buy the Farm

Meaning: To die, especially suddenly.
Example: “He almost bought the farm in that car accident.”
Tone: Informal, slightly humorous.
Other ways to say it: Lose one’s life, perish.

13. Cash in One’s Chips

Meaning: To die, as in finishing a game.
Example: “He cashed in his chips after a long and fulfilling life.”
Tone: Playful, philosophical.
Other ways to say it: End the game, move on.

14. Rest in Peace

Meaning: A respectful way to acknowledge death.
Example: “May he rest in peace after a life well lived.”
Tone: Formal, solemn.
Other ways to say it: Be at peace, sleep forever.

15. Give Up the Ghost

Meaning: To die, often referring to the spirit leaving the body.
Example: “After years of illness, he finally gave up the ghost.”
Tone: Poetic, spiritual.
Other ways to say it: Let go of life, pass on.

16. Depart This Life

Meaning: A formal way to say someone has died.
Example: “She departed this life at the age of 92.”
Tone: Respectful, old-fashioned.
Other ways to say it: Leave this world, pass away.

17. Gone Too Soon

Meaning: Died earlier than expected.
Example: “He was gone too soon, leaving behind a grieving family.”
Tone: Sad, heartfelt.
Other ways to say it: Taken too early, left too soon.

18. Knock on Heaven’s Door

Meaning: Near death or dying.
Example: “After the accident, he was knocking on heaven’s door.”
Tone: Poetic, dramatic.
Other ways to say it: On death’s doorstep, close to passing.

19. Lay Down One’s Life

Meaning: To die, often in sacrifice.
Example: “He laid down his life for his country.”
Tone: Heroic, noble.
Other ways to say it: Sacrifice oneself, give up life.

20. Sleep with the Fishes

Meaning: To be dead, often used in mafia slang.
Example: “The detective suspected he was sleeping with the fishes.”
Tone: Dark, dramatic.
Other ways to say it: Be buried, be gone forever.

21. Dead as a Doornail

Meaning: Completely dead.
Example: “By the time help arrived, he was dead as a doornail.”
Tone: Definitive, old-fashioned.
Other ways to say it: Lifeless, gone.

22. Walk the Last Mile

Meaning: To approach death, often in execution.
Example: “He walked the last mile with dignity.”
Tone: Serious, dramatic.
Other ways to say it: Face the end, meet fate.

23. Face the Music

Meaning: To accept the consequences of one’s actions, often leading to death.
Example: “He knew he had to face the music for his crimes.”
Tone: Stern, resigned.
Other ways to say it: Accept fate, take responsibility.

24. Draw One’s Last Breath

Meaning: To die.
Example: “He drew his last breath surrounded by loved ones.”
Tone: Poetic, solemn.
Other ways to say it: Take a final breath, expire.

25. Say Goodbye to the World

Meaning: To die.
Example: “He said goodbye to the world after a long illness.”
Tone: Emotional, reflective.
Other ways to say it: Leave life, pass on.

26. Exit Stage Left

Meaning: To leave or die, like in theater.
Example: “The actor exited stage left for the final time.”
Tone: Dramatic, poetic.
Other ways to say it: Depart, leave for good.

27. Be Six Feet Under

Meaning: To be dead and buried.
Example: “By next week, that old tree will be six feet under.”
Tone: Informal, sometimes humorous.
Other ways to say it: Buried, laid to rest.

28. Go Out with a Bang

Meaning: To die in an exciting or dramatic way.
Example: “He wanted to go out with a bang, doing what he loved.”
Tone: Bold, dramatic.
Other ways to say it: Die memorably, make an impact.

Conclusion

Death is a part of life, and these idioms offer various ways to discuss it—whether lightly, respectfully, or poetically.