Phrase guide

death march

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A forced movement of people, on foot, in such circumstances that many die during the journey.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the Bataan Death March

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A project that requires a stretch of unsustainable overwork, or whose participants feel it is destined to fail.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: management

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Synonym of dead march (“mournful music for a funeral etc.”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dead march

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 死亡行軍 /死亡行军 (sǐwáng xíngjūn) — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Czech: pochod smrti — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Danish: dødsmarch — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Dutch: dodenmars — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Finnish: kuolemanmarssi — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • French: marche de la mort — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • German: Todesmarsch — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Japanese: 死の行進 (shi no kōshin) — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Japanese: 死の行軍 (shi no kōgun) — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Korean: 죽음의 행진 (jugeumui haengjin) — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Polish: marsz śmierci — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Russian: ма́рш сме́рти (márš smérti) — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Serbo-Croatian: марш смрти — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Serbo-Croatian: marš smrti — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Swedish: dödsmarsch — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Tagalog: martsa ng kamatayan — forced movement of people in such circumstances that many die during the journey
  • Japanese: デスマーチ (desu māchi) — project requiring stretch of unsustainable overwork
  • Japanese: デスマ (desuma) — project requiring stretch of unsustainable overwork