Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

give up the ghost

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.39 in modern English

Syllables: give up the ghost
IPA

27

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

1

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To cease clinging to life; to die.

Intransitive verb

verb

To quit; to cease functioning.

Intransitive verb

verb

To cede a commitment to or identification with.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"And Ieſus cryed with a loude voice, and gaue vp the ghoſt."
"My old computer finally gave up the ghost the other day."
"On the long 1 in 100 ascent from Staveley to Heath she nearly stalled, and having taken 67¼ min. to cover the 38.2 miles to Nottingham instead of the 51 min. scheduled she gave up the ghost, and came off the train."
"We've got a problem. A big one. The controller chip for our water purification system has given up the ghost. We can't make another one and the process is too complicated for a work-around system. Simply put, we're running out of drinking water. No water, no Vault."
"But McCartney, 50, is hardly ready to give up the ghost of his creative past."
"Burnett holds the door while Lowrey holds Francine. She's broken, crying, and giving up the ghost of her past."

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

gives up the ghost (present, singular) giving up the ghost (participle, present) gave up the ghost (past) given up the ghost (participle, past)

Phrases

draw one's last breath give up

Frequently Paired Words

draw one's last breath give up

Synonyms

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

Questions

What does give up the ghost mean?: To cease clinging to life; to die.
Where does give up the ghost come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce give up the ghost

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