Standard Lemma guide

deceased

adj · noun · 8 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈsiːst/
  • US: dē-sēst'
  • US: dĭ-sēst'
  • US: /diˈsist/
  • US: /dɪˈsist/
  • Canada: /diˈsist/
  • Canada: /dɪˈsist/
  • Canada: /diˈsizd/
  • Canada: /dɪˈsizd/
  • Nigeria: /dɪˈzizd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: diseased (Nigeria)
  • rhymes with -iːst
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S IY1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

No longer alive; dead.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: asleep, at peace, at rest, dead, departed, late, gone, blessed, cadaverous, clay-cold, deceased, resting, decomposed, defunct, expired, extinct, fey, good, inanimate, inert, kaput, killed, lifeless, living impaired, low, no longer with us, no more, perished, reposing, six feet deep, six feet under, stiff, unalive, unalived, wasted, whilom, with God

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Belonging to the dead.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The executor's commission for winding up the deceased estate was 3.5%.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

One who has died.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Overwhelmed to the point of being figuratively dead.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: excessive, not-comparable

Examples

  • You look so good, I'm deceased!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Synonym of dead (“those who have died”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: euphemistic

Examples

  • The deceased was interred in his local churchyard.
  • a memorial to the deceased of two World Wars

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dead

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

One who has died. In property law, the alternate term decedent is generally used in US English. In criminal law, “the deceased” refers to the victim of a homicide.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

dead

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is deceased
  • our dear departed friend

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: asleep(p), at peace(p), at rest(p), departed, gone

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

someone who is no longer alive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I wonder what the dead person would have done

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dead person, dead soul, deceased person, decedent, departed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul

Narrower terms: infernal, zombi, zombie, living dead, Lazarus

History

Etymology

From decease + -ed, from Middle English deceas via Old French [Term?], from Latin dēcessus (“departure”), equivalent to dēced-, variation of dēcēdō, dēcēdere (“to go away”).

Across languages

Translations

217 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: oorlede — no longer alive
  • Afrikaans: afgestorwe — no longer alive
  • Afrikaans: wyle — no longer alive
  • Arabic: مَيِّت مَيْت (mayyit) — no longer alive
  • Arabic: مُتَوَفًّى (mutawaffan) — no longer alive
  • Bashkir: үлгән (ülgən) — no longer alive
  • Belarusian: паме́рлы (pamjérly) — no longer alive
  • Belarusian: мёртвы (mjórtvy) — no longer alive
  • Breton: diwezhañ-marv — no longer alive
  • Bulgarian: умря́л (umrjál) — no longer alive
  • Bulgarian: поко́ен (pokóen) — no longer alive
  • Bulgarian: мъ́ртъв (mǎ́rtǎv) — no longer alive
  • Catalan: difunt — no longer alive
  • Catalan: mort — no longer alive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 已故的 (yǐgù de) — no longer alive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 死的 (sǐ de) — no longer alive
  • Czech: zesnulý — no longer alive
  • Czech: mrtvý — no longer alive
  • Danish: afdød — no longer alive
  • Danish: død — no longer alive
  • Dutch: overleden — no longer alive
  • Dutch: dood — no longer alive
  • Finnish: kuollut — no longer alive
  • French: décédé — no longer alive
  • French: mort — no longer alive
  • Galician: finado — no longer alive
  • Galician: defunto — no longer alive
  • Galician: morto — no longer alive
  • German: verstorben — no longer alive
  • German: gestorben — no longer alive
  • German: tot — no longer alive
  • Greek: αποθανών (apothanón) — no longer alive
  • Greek: νεκρός (nekrós) — no longer alive
  • Hindi: दिवंगत (divaṅgat) — no longer alive
  • Hungarian: elhunyt — no longer alive
  • Indonesian: meninggal — no longer alive
  • Indonesian: meninggal dunia — no longer alive
  • Indonesian: almarhum — no longer alive
  • Indonesian: wafat — no longer alive
  • Indonesian: mangkat — no longer alive
  • Irish: básaithe — no longer alive
  • Irish: ar shlí na fírinne — no longer alive
  • Japanese: 亡くなった (nakunatta) — no longer alive
  • Japanese: 死んだ (shinda) — no longer alive
  • Korean: 사망한 (samanghan) — no longer alive
  • Korean: 죽은 (jugeun) — no longer alive
  • Macedonian: покоен (pokoen) — no longer alive
  • Macedonian: починат (počinat) — no longer alive
  • Macedonian: мртов (mrtov) — no longer alive
  • Macedonian: умрен (umren) — no longer alive
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avdød — no longer alive
  • Norwegian Bokmål: død — no longer alive
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avdød — no longer alive
  • Occitan: defunt — no longer alive
  • Occitan: mòrt — no longer alive
  • Plautdietsch: doot — no longer alive
  • Polish: nieżywy — no longer alive
  • Polish: martwy — no longer alive
  • Polish: zmarły — no longer alive
  • Portuguese: falecido — no longer alive
  • Portuguese: morto — no longer alive
  • Romanian: mort — no longer alive
  • Romanian: decedat — no longer alive
  • Romanian: răposat — no longer alive
  • Russian: поко́йный (pokójnyj) — no longer alive
  • Russian: мёртвый (mjórtvyj) — no longer alive
  • Russian: уме́рший (uméršij) — no longer alive
  • Russian: усо́пший (usópšij) — no longer alive
  • Sanskrit: मृत (mṛtá) — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: мр̑твӣ — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: мр̀тав — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀ко̄јнӣ — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̏мрлӣ — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȓtvī — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: mr̀tav — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòkōjnī — no longer alive
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȕmrlī — no longer alive
  • Slovak: zosnulý — no longer alive
  • Slovak: mŕtvy — no longer alive
  • Slovene: preminul — no longer alive
  • Slovene: pokojen — no longer alive
  • Slovene: mŕtev — no longer alive
  • Spanish: fallecido — no longer alive
  • Spanish: difunto — no longer alive
  • Spanish: decesado — no longer alive
  • Spanish: exangüe — no longer alive
  • Spanish: finado — no longer alive
  • Spanish: fenecido — no longer alive
  • Swedish: avliden — no longer alive
  • Ukrainian: покі́йний (pokíjnyj) — no longer alive
  • Ukrainian: ме́ртвий (mértvyj) — no longer alive
  • Ukrainian: уме́рлий (umérlyj) — no longer alive
  • Ukrainian: поме́рлий (pomérlyj) — no longer alive
  • Ukrainian: ме́рлий (mérlyj) — no longer alive
  • Volapük: ädeadöl — no longer alive
  • Volapük: deadik — no longer alive
  • Welsh: ymadawedig — no longer alive
  • Welsh: diweddar — no longer alive
  • Afrikaans: bestorwe — belonging to the dead
  • Hebrew: מנוח (manoakh) — belonging to the dead
  • Hebrew: נפטר (nift'ar) — belonging to the dead
  • Afrikaans: oorledene — dead person
  • Afrikaans: afgestorwene — dead person
  • Arabic: مَرْحُوم (marḥūm) — dead person
  • Belarusian: нябо́жчык (njabóžčyk) — dead person
  • Belarusian: нябо́жчыца (njabóžčyca) — dead person
  • Belarusian: паме́рлы (pamjérly) — dead person
  • Belarusian: пако́йнік (pakójnik) — dead person
  • Belarusian: пако́йніца (pakójnica) — dead person
  • Belarusian: мёртвы (mjórtvy) — dead person
  • Bulgarian: поко́йник (pokójnik) — dead person
  • Bulgarian: поко́йница (pokójnica) — dead person
  • Bulgarian: мъ́ртъв (mǎ́rtǎv) — dead person
  • Catalan: difunt — dead person
  • Catalan: mort — dead person
  • Chichewa: womwalira — dead person
  • Chichewa: muwi — dead person
  • Chichewa: mzimizi — dead person
  • Chichewa: wotisiya — dead person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 死者 (sǐzhě) — dead person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 死人 (sǐrén) — dead person
  • Czech: nebožtík — dead person
  • Czech: nebožka — dead person
  • Czech: nebožtička — dead person
  • Czech: zesnulý — dead person
  • Czech: mrtvý — dead person
  • Czech: zemřelý — dead person
  • Dutch: overledene — dead person
  • Finnish: kuollut — dead person
  • French: défunt — dead person
  • Galician: morto — dead person
  • Galician: defunto — dead person
  • German: Verstorbene — dead person
  • German: Verstorbener — dead person
  • Greek: εκλιπών (eklipón) — dead person
  • Greek: εκλιπούσα (eklipoúsa) — dead person
  • Hebrew: מנוח (manoakh) — dead person
  • Hebrew: מנוחה (menokha) — dead person
  • Hebrew: נפטר (nift'ar) — dead person
  • Hebrew: נפטרת (nift'eret) — dead person
  • Hungarian: elhunyt — dead person
  • Indonesian: almarhum — dead person
  • Indonesian: almarhumah — dead person
  • Japanese: 死人 — dead person
  • Japanese: 仏様 (hotokesama) — dead person
  • Japanese: 故人 (gojin) — dead person
  • Japanese: 死者 (shisha) — dead person
  • Korean: 고인 (goin) — dead person
  • Korean: 죽은 사람 (jugeun saram) — dead person
  • Korean: 사자 (saja) — dead person
  • Latin: dēfūnctus — dead person
  • Latin: dēfūncta — dead person
  • Latin: mortuus — dead person
  • Latin: mortua — dead person
  • Macedonian: покојник (pokojnik) — dead person
  • Macedonian: покојница (pokojnica) — dead person
  • Macedonian: мртов (mrtov) — dead person
  • Occitan: defunt — dead person
  • Polish: zmarły — dead person
  • Polish: nieboszczyk — dead person
  • Polish: nieboszczka — dead person
  • Polish: martwy — dead person
  • Portuguese: falecido — dead person
  • Romani: mulo — dead person
  • Romani: muli — dead person
  • Romanian: defunct — dead person
  • Romanian: decedat — dead person
  • Romanian: răposat — dead person
  • Russian: поко́йник (pokójnik) — dead person
  • Russian: поко́йница (pokójnica) — dead person
  • Russian: поко́йный (pokójnyj) — dead person
  • Russian: уме́рший (uméršij) — dead person
  • Russian: мёртвый (mjórtvyj) — dead person
  • Serbo-Croatian: мр̀твац — dead person
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀ко̄јнӣк — dead person
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀ко̄јница — dead person
  • Serbo-Croatian: mr̀tvac — dead person
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòkōjnīk — dead person
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòkōjnica — dead person
  • Slovak: zosnulý — dead person
  • Slovak: nebožtík — dead person
  • Slovak: nebožka — dead person
  • Slovak: nebožtička — dead person
  • Slovene: preminuli — dead person
  • Slovene: preminula — dead person
  • Slovene: pokojnik — dead person
  • Slovene: pokojnica — dead person
  • Spanish: difunto — dead person
  • Sranan Tongo: dedesma — dead person
  • Swedish: avliden — dead person
  • Swedish: död — dead person
  • Swedish: döing — dead person
  • Swedish: lik — dead person
  • Swedish: bår — dead person
  • Tashelhit: imtti — dead person
  • Ukrainian: небі́жчик (nebížčyk) — dead person
  • Ukrainian: небі́жчиця (nebížčycja) — dead person
  • Ukrainian: покі́йник (pokíjnyk) — dead person
  • Ukrainian: покі́йниця (pokíjnycja) — dead person
  • Ukrainian: поме́рлий (pomérlyj) — dead person
  • Ukrainian: ме́ртвий (mértvyj) — dead person
  • Vietnamese: người chết — dead person
  • Yiddish: ניפֿטר (nifter) — dead person
  • Afrikaans: oorledenes — plural: dead people
  • Afrikaans: afgestorwenes — plural: dead people
  • Dutch: overledenen — plural: dead people
  • French: défunts — plural: dead people
  • German: Verstorbene — plural: dead people
  • German: Tote — plural: dead people
  • Japanese: 死人 — plural: dead people
  • Polish: zmarli — plural: dead people
  • Portuguese: falecidos — plural: dead people
  • Portuguese: mortos — plural: dead people
  • Russian: мёртвые (mjórtvyje) — plural: dead people
  • Russian: поги́бшие (pogíbšije) — plural: dead people
  • Tashelhit: imttan — plural: dead people
  • Yiddish: ניפֿטרים (niftorem) — plural: dead people
Real reading context

deceased in complete knowledge articles