noun

la muerte

death

Es el fin de la vida de un ser, cuando deja de respirar, de moverse y de sentir. Ocurre en personas, animales y plantas.

Definition & meaning

Muerte is a feminine noun meaning “death”: the end of a living being’s life. It can also refer to:

The death of a person or animal: la muerte de un familiar (“the death of a family member”).
A killing or cause of death, depending on context.
The end or destruction of something, used figuratively.
Death personified, as a figure or force.

Grammar & Word origin

Muerte is feminine: la muerte. Its plural is muertes. It comes from Latin mors, mortis (“death”) and is related to the Spanish verb morir (“to die”) and adjective muerto (“dead”).

Synonyms & antonyms

Possible synonyms include:

fallecimiento : a more formal or polite term for someone’s death.
defunción : formal, often used in official or medical contexts.
deceso : a formal synonym, especially common in written language.

The main antonym is vida (“life”). These words describe the opposite state, rather than a different kind of death.

Common phrases & collocations

muerte natural [?](vocabuo://word/muerte%20natural] — natural death.
muerte súbita [?](vocabuo://word/muerte%20súbita] — sudden death; also used in sports for a sudden-death tiebreak.
causa de muerte [?](vocabuo://word/causa%20de%20muerte] — cause of death.
dar muerte a alguien [?](vocabuo://word/dar%20muerte%20a%20alguien] — to kill someone; a formal or literary expression.