Definition of death knell in English:
death knell
Translate death knell into Spanish
noun
in singular1The tolling of a bell to mark someone's death.
‘Livra's words had set a bell tolling the death knell in the king's head.’- ‘Then he had vanished entirely, and she was left with her heart beginning to pound like a bell's death knell.’
chime, carillon, ring, ringing, knell, toll, tolling, sound, sounding, death knell, clang, boom, resounding, reverberation, change, touch- 1.1Used to refer to the imminent destruction or failure of something.‘the chaos may sound the death knell for the peace plan’
- ‘They have been joined by Scottish oyster farmers who fear the warning could sound the death knell for their industry, which is estimated to be worth £1.5m a year.’
- ‘For a health care system already on life support due to extreme budget cuts, the extraction of $500,000,000 dollars would be the death knell.’
- ‘It is hard to know for sure when - or whether - the death knell for a species has tolled.’
- ‘This could be the death knell for the candidate's campaign.’
- ‘If enacted, the proposed legislation would mark the death knell of the Public Records Act in California.’
- ‘Surely, the now record-breaking floods in York ought to be the death knell for any future commercial developments in, or around, Coppergate.’
- ‘I am not prepared to ring the death knell of the orchestra even at this time, but things don't look good.’
- ‘But Margaret believes the death knell started to toll for brownie packs when the cubs and scouts began accepting girls into their formerly all-boy domain.’
- ‘With those words of encouragement ringing in my ears like a death knell, I packed up my troubles in my old Adidas bag and smiled, smiled, smiled.’
- ‘Fees, he argues, do not sound the death knell for the gap year (although there was a dip in numbers last year), but in fact make it an even more important institution.’
- ‘But some feel the closures are a death knell for local communities and will force pensioners to get their pensions from bank accounts, removing a vital social contact each week.’
- ‘I could well see it being the death knell for some of the smaller clubs without the opportunity to raise money.’
- ‘Hotter, much drier summers will sound the death knell for lush green lawns in much of the south of England.’
- ‘And they warn that it could be the death knell for hundreds of traditional boozers which do not sell food, and whose regulars enjoy a smoke with their pint.’
- ‘Could this latest trend sound the death knell for the once standard, grown-up housing option of the two-bedroom?’
- ‘Sweeping changes to the way benefits and state pensions are paid will sound the death knell for post offices already struggling to survive, fear sub-postmasters.’
- ‘A publican in a rural area in Mayo has charged that plans by the Government to further deregulate the licensed trade will sound the death knell for the rural pub.’
- ‘And unless it can be revitalised with an influx of young blood, within 20 years the death knell could toll for a very important Scottish industry.’
- ‘Critics say allowing massive casinos in Britain could produce a generation of gambling addicts and mark the death knell for independent amusement arcade owners on the sea front.’
- ‘An appearance on this register would toll the death knell for an architect's career.’
Pronunciation
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