demise

/dɪˈmaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈmaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈmīz/ (ame, mw)

demise — 名詞

1. the death of someone, especially in formal news, legal, or historical writing

1.名詞C1
釋義

去世

人的死亡，多見於正式用語

the death of someone, especially in formal news, legal, or historical writing

例句

The court delayed the hearing after the sudden demise of the chief witness.

首席證人在突然去世後，法院延後了這場聽證會。

demise of + person in formal reporting

News of Professor Lin's demise spread across campus before noon.

林教授去世的消息在中午前就傳遍了整個校園。

同義詞
  • death

    the neutral and most common word

  • passing

    softer and often more polite

  • decease

    very formal and mostly legal

反義詞
  • birth

    the start of life

  • survival

    continuing to live rather than dying

文法句型

the demise of + person

after + person's demise

用法筆記

This sense is much more formal than the everyday word 'death'. It often appears in newspaper reports, legal documents, and historical writing.

常見錯誤

❌My dog's demise happened yesterday.
✅My dog died yesterday.
💡'demise' sounds too formal for ordinary everyday conversation about a pet.
❌I heard the demise of my uncle on the phone.
✅I heard about my uncle's demise on the phone.
💡'demise' is the event itself, so it usually needs 'of' or a possessive pattern.

2. the point when a once-important company, system, idea, or tradition loses its st

2.名詞C1
釋義

瓦解；終結

強大事物走向衰敗並結束

the point when a once-important company, system, idea, or tradition loses its strength and comes to an end

例句

Cheap imports sped up the demise of the local steel mill.

廉價進口品加快了這家地方鋼鐵廠的瓦解。

demise of + business or industry

Analysts blamed rising debt for the airline's rapid demise.

分析師把這家航空公司的快速終結歸咎於債務攀升。

同義詞
  • downfall

    often suggests failure caused by mistakes or loss of power

  • collapse

    suggests a more sudden or dramatic failure

  • end

    broader and less formal

反義詞
  • rise

    growth into power or success

  • revival

    return to strength after decline

文法句型

the demise of + company/system/industry

[adjective] demise

用法筆記

Use this sense for large-scale decline or final failure, especially with businesses, institutions, industries, or traditions. It is more formal than simply saying something ended.

常見錯誤

❌The demise of my sandwich was quick.
✅I finished my sandwich quickly.
💡This sense is used for important things such as companies, systems, or traditions, not small everyday objects.
❌The club demise happened last year.
✅The club's demise happened last year.
💡The noun usually appears with a possessive form or with 'of'.

demise — 動詞