death knell

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death knell

The old church bell tolled the death knell across the quiet village.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A bell rung to announce a death: A literal bell tolled to signal that someone has died.
    • An omen of death or destruction: A sign or event that foreshadows the end, failure, or destruction of something.
Usage Examples

  • Noun (Literal):

    • The solemn sound of the death knell echoed through the village.
    • In many traditions, the church bell serves as a death knell for the deceased.

  • Noun (Figurative):

    • The new environmental regulations sounded the death knell for the old, polluting factory.
    • The invention of the smartphone was the death knell for many traditional camera companies.
Advanced Usage
  • "to sound/toll the death knell for something": This is the most common figurative usage. It means to be the event or sign that causes or signals the inevitable end of something.
    • The scandal sounded the death knell for his political career.
    • The rise of streaming services tolled the death knell for many video rental stores.
Variants and Related Words
  • Knell (noun/verb): Can be used on its own to mean a sound of a bell, especially for a death or funeral, or to portend doom.
    • The decision knelled the end of an era.
  • Deathblow (noun): A stroke or event that causes death or final defeat. (This is a related concept but a different word.)
    • The lawsuit was a deathblow to the company's reputation.
Synonyms
  • Harbinger: Something that foreshadows a future event.
  • Portent: A sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen.
  • Death sentence (figurative): An official or decisive condemnation to end or fail.
Related Phrases
  • "Nail in the coffin": An idiomatic phrase with a very similar meaning to the figurative use of "death knell." It refers to an event that causes the failure of something that was already likely to fail.
    • The poor sales figures were the final nail in the coffin for the product line.
Related Idioms
  • "Ring the bell": While not directly an idiom for "death knell," the act of ringing a bell is central to its literal meaning. Figuratively, "that doesn't ring a bell" means something is not familiar or remembered.
death knell

The old church bell tolled the death knell across the quiet village.

Noun
  1. a bell rung to announce a death
  2. an omen of death or destruction

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