deathbed
/ˈdeθbed/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdeθbed/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdeth-ˌbed/ (ame, mw)
deathbed — noun
- deathbedsingular
- deathbedsplural
1. the actual bed where a person lies during their final illness or at the moment t
the actual bed where a person lies during their final illness or at the moment they die
The family gathered around his deathbed to say their final goodbyes.
possessive + deathbed; gathered around
Minh's mother never left his deathbed during his last week.
A lamp beside the deathbed lit the dying woman's face as her family kept vigil.
The nurse adjusted the pillows on the deathbed to make the patient more comfortable.
- sickbed
broader term — a sickbed can be for any illness, not necessarily terminal
文法句型
[possessive] deathbed
the deathbed
用法筆記
This literal sense is uncommon in everyday speech; the word appears far more often in the figurative expression 'on one's deathbed' (see sense 2 and idiom below). When used literally, it is almost always modified by a possessive or the definite article.
常見錯誤
2. the final period of a person's life, especially the last hours or days when they
the final period of a person's life, especially the last hours or days when they are very weak and near death
On her deathbed, Meera asked to see her garden one last time.
idiom: on [possessive] deathbed
The old man's deathbed confession revealed a secret he had kept for fifty years.
compound: deathbed confession
Théo made a deathbed promise to take care of his younger sister.
Renata softened her attitude toward her brother on his deathbed and forgave him.
The novelist wrote his final poem on his deathbed, too weak to hold a pen.
- final hours
neutral and descriptive; less dramatic than 'deathbed'
- end of life
clinical or formal register; used in medical contexts
- last moments
focuses on the very final minutes or seconds
文法句型
on [possessive] deathbed
deathbed + noun (compound)
用法筆記
This is overwhelmingly the more common sense. The phrase 'on one's deathbed' often signals a dramatic moment — a confession, a reconciliation, a final request. The compound forms 'deathbed confession', 'deathbed promise', and 'deathbed conversion' are particularly frequent in narratives.