give up the ghost
English · Thesaurus
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give up the ghost
Where it comes from
Literally, to release one's spirit or soul from the body at death. From Middle English "gaf up þe gost", "ȝave up þe gost", from Old English phrases as "hēo āġeaf hire gāst" (literally, "she gave up her ghost [spirit]"), "þæt iċ gāst mīnne āġifan mōte" (literally, "that I must give up my ghost [spirit]"). Compare German den Geist aufgeben, Dutch de geest geven, French rendre l'âme.
Perhaps most notable and survived in modern English for being used in traditional translation during the death of Jesus during His crucifixion
verb gives up the ghost · giving up the ghost · gave up the ghost · given up the ghost
-
To cease clinging to life; to die.
And Ieſus cryed with a loude voice, and gaue vp the ghoſt.
Similar: yield up the ghost, yield the ghost, assume room temperature, auger in, be called home, be gathered to one's fathers, be like the the One, be no more, be with Jesus, be with the Lord, bite the big one, bite the biscuit
- To quit; to cease functioning. My old computer finally gave up the ghost the other day.
- To cede a commitment to or identification with. But McCartney, 50, is hardly ready to give up the ghost of his creative past.
Translations
Every language
verb to die
| Español | entregar el alma, entregar el alma a Dios, entregar el equipo, pasar a mejor vida |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 斷氣 /断气 duànqì, 見閻王 /见阎王 jiàn Yánwáng |
| Português | bater as botas, vestir o paletó de madeira |
| Français | rendre l'âme |
| Deutsch | den Geist aufgeben |
| Italiano | rendere l'anima, esalare l'ultimo respiro |
| Română | da duhul |
| Русский | испусти́ть дух ispustítʹ dux |
| Tiếng Việt | tắt thở, gặp Diêm Vương |
Talk about this word "give up the ghost." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/give%20up%20the%20ghost. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. give up the ghost. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/give%20up%20the%20ghost "give up the ghost." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/give%20up%20the%20ghost.Cite this
@misc{give_up_the_ghost_2026,
title = {give up the ghost},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/give%20up%20the%20ghost},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
