Demise

Definition of DEMISE

transitive verb

1

: to convey (as an estate) by will or lease

2

obsolete : convey, give

3

: to transmit by succession or inheritance

intransitive verb

1

: die, decease

2

: to pass by descent or bequest <the property has demised to the king's heirs>

Origin of DEMISE

(see ²demise)

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to DEMISE

Synonyms: check out, conk (out), croak [slang], decease, die, depart, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in [slang], kick off [slang], pass (on), pass away, part, peg out [chiefly British], perish, pop off, step out, succumb

Antonyms: breathe, live

Rhymes with DEMISE

abscise, advise, apprise, apprize, arise, assize, baptize, bite-size, breadthwise, capsize, chastise, clockwise, coastwise, cognize, comprise, crabwise, crack wise, crosswise, despise, devise, disguise, disprize, door prize, downsize, earthrise, edgewise, emprise, endwise, excise, fanwise, franchise, full-size, grecize, high-rise, incise, king-size, leastwise, lengthwise, Levi's, life-size, likewise, low-rise, man-size, mid-rise, midsize, misprize, moonrise, nowise, outsize, piecewise, pint-size, premise, quantize, queen-size, remise, reprise, revise, rightsize, slantwise, streetwise, stylize, suffice, sunrise, surmise, surprise, trim size, twin-size, unwise, uprise

Full Definition of DEMISE

1

: the conveyance of an estate

2

: transfer of the sovereignty to a successor

3

a : death

b : a cessation of existence or activity

c : a loss of position or status

See demise defined for English-language learners

See demise defined for kids

Examples of DEMISE

… invited visitors to play a game in which points are awarded to those who predict the demise of yet another overhyped dot-com. —Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 14 Sept. 2000
This elegant little book is essential reading for anyone interested in the demise, the terminal silliness, of our culture. —John Irving, New York Times Book Review, 6 Apr. 1997
Like books, board games appear headed for imminent demise at the hands of cathode-ray terminals. —Will Manley, Booklist, 1 Mar. 1995
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Origin of DEMISE

Middle English dimise, from Anglo-French demise, feminine of demis, past participle of demettre to dismiss, from Latin demittere to send down, from de- + mittere to send

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to DEMISE

Synonyms: curtains, decease, death, dissolution, doom, end, exit, expiration, expiry, fate, grave, great divide, passage, passing, quietus, sleep

Antonyms: birth, nativity

Definition of DEMISE for Kids

1

: death 1 <And often the court waited until the demise of two or three potters before searching out their replacements. — Linda Sue Park, A Single Shard>

2

: an ending of existence or activity <the demise of a newspaper>