death
/deθ/ (bre, ipa) · /deθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdeth/ (ame, mw)
death — 名詞
- deathsingular
- deathsplural
1. the moment when a living creature's body stops working forever and life ends com
死亡；去世
生命終止的狀態或事件
the moment when a living creature's body stops working forever and life ends completely
The paramedics tried to revive her, but the cause of death was a massive heart attack.
救護人員試圖讓她甦醒，但死因是大規模心臟病發作。
cause of death — common phrase for medical/legal context
Ryo's grandfather passed away peacefully, and the family gathered in Tokyo to honour his death.
Ryo 的祖父安詳地走了，家人齊聚東京悼念他的逝世。
In many countries, a doctor must sign a death certificate before the body can be moved.
在許多國家，醫生必須簽署死亡證明才能移動遺體。
The old mango tree's sudden death surprised the village — it had looked healthy a month before.
老芒果樹的突然枯死讓全村人很驚訝——一個月前它看起來還很健康。
文法句型
death + of + [person/animal]
die a + adjective + death
用法筆記
This sense can refer to the death of any living organism, not only humans. The phrase 'cause of death' is extremely common in medical and legal English.
常見錯誤
2. used after adjectives such as 'bored', 'scared', or 'tired' to mean 'extremely'
到極點；要命
形容詞後強調程度極深
used after adjectives such as 'bored', 'scared', or 'tired' to mean 'extremely' or 'to an unbearable degree'
Hannah was bored to death during the three-hour lecture on soil composition.
Hannah 在那場長達三小時的土壤成分講座中無聊得要命。
bored to death — most common intensifier use
Little Mateo was scared to death of the loud fireworks on New Year's Eve.
小 Mateo 被跨年夜的巨大煙火嚇得要死。
scared to death — expressing extreme fear
After ten years of the same daily routine, Sari felt sick to death of her office job.
同樣的日常工作做了十年之後，Sari 對她的辦公室工作厭惡到了極點。
The children were tickled to death when the clown pulled a live rabbit out of his hat.
小丑從帽子裡變出一隻活兔子時，孩子們高興極了。
- extremely
neutral, works across all registers
- to bits / to pieces
British informal alternative, as in 'thrilled to bits'
文法句型
[adjective] + to death
用法筆記
Only a limited set of adjectives commonly combine with 'to death': bored, scared, frightened, tired, sick, tickled. This pattern is informal and would sound unnatural in formal academic writing.
常見錯誤
3. continuing up to the moment someone dies; used in fixed phrases that emphasise l
至死；終生
持續到生命結束
continuing up to the moment someone dies; used in fixed phrases that emphasise loyalty, determination, or a struggle that only ends when one person dies
The two rival gangs fought to the death over control of the neighbourhood market.
兩個敵對幫派為了爭奪社區市場的控制權，鬥到你死我活。
fight to the death — physical struggle ending only when one side dies
Constanza remained faithful unto death to the promises she had made to her late husband.
Constanza 對她已故丈夫許下的承諾，至死不渝。
faithful unto death — expressing lifelong loyalty
The defenders knew they must hold the bridge to the death or the enemy would take the city.
守軍知道他們必須死守那座橋，否則敵軍就會攻佔城市。
Nia swore she would defend her family's farm to the death against the land developers.
Nia 發誓她會誓死保衛家族的農場，對抗土地開發商。
- to the bitter end
similar determination but does not necessarily involve literal death
- for life
same meaning of permanence but without the violent struggle connotation
文法句型
to the death
unto death
fight + to the death
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in set phrases. It is often used dramatically and may sound old-fashioned in everyday conversation outside of fixed expressions like 'fight to the death'.
常見錯誤
4. a person, thing, or event that causes the end of a person's life, or the complet
致命；毀滅
導致死亡或徹底失敗的因素
a person, thing, or event that causes the end of a person's life, or the complete destruction or failure of something that is not alive, such as a business, tradition, or plan
The opening of the big supermarket was the death of the small grocery shops in the town.
大型超市的開業，導致鎮上的小雜貨店全部倒閉。
the death of [business] — the cause of failure
Polluted well water proved to be the death of many early settlers in the region.
受污染的水井導致該地區許多早期移民喪生。
Cheap streaming services with original shows have spelled the death of many traditional cable television channels.
擁有原創節目的廉價串流服務，已經宣告了許多傳統有線電視頻道的終結。
The new highway through the forest will mean the death of several endangered species living there.
穿越森林的新高速公路意味著當地幾種瀕危物種將走向滅絕。
- ruin
focuses on financial or social collapse; less final than 'death'
- destruction
more violent and physical; suggests active demolition
- downfall
suggests a fall from a previous high position
文法句型
the death + of + [something]
be the death of + [someone/something]
用法筆記
When used in 'be the death of [someone]', this phrase is often light-hearted in modern conversation ('This job will be the death of me!'), but in literary or news contexts it can be literal and serious.