demise
基本释义
[noun] a person’s death
[名词] 某人的死亡
深入解读
Demise 一词源自古法语 desmetre （解职、把……放回原处），15世纪中期经英国法语进入英语后，即用来表示财产、土地等的“转让、让与”，主要指通过遗嘱永久转让或者通过租约在数年时间内转让，并到了16世纪40年代后，开始引申指国王死亡或罢黜后的王位、君权等的“传位、禅位”。
从这个概念出发， demise 到了1754年后开始进一步衍生指“死亡”，也就是引发财产、土地、王位、君权等转让的死亡，最初仅用来形容君主或某个重要人物的死亡，现在则可以泛作“死亡”的委婉语，比如：
- 她丈夫的英年早逝使她悲痛万分。
Her husband’s early demise anguished her deeply.
再从死亡这个概念出发，现在 demise 更多地用来喻指“终止、失败、倒闭”，多指某个以前被认为是很强大的企业、机构、商业、行业等的终结、失败或者说活动停止，比如：
- 该行业的没落给数以千计辛苦经营的商贩带来了难言的苦楚。他们不得不同一切困境做斗争。
The demise of the industry caused untold misery to thousands of hard-working tradesmen. They had to struggle against all kinds of adversity.
好书例句
Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger.
在痛失双亲之后，十四岁的哈利·波特以为他终于在霍格沃茨，于那个与他形影相伴的女朋友——麻瓜家庭出身的赫敏·格兰杰身上，找到了感情的慰藉。
出自英国作家J·K·罗琳的奇幻小说《哈利·波特》系列的第四本《哈利·波特与火焰杯》（Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire）。
外刊例句
- However, even in the rich world, big family firms are defying expectations of their demise.
然而，即便在富裕国家，大型家族企业也没有像某些预言般走上衰落。
——《经济学人》 - But the deal may not go through, and with its demise the three-decade-old edifice of affirmative action may begin to crumble.
但这笔交易可能谈不成，随之而来的后果是，鼓励雇用少数民族、妇女这个实行已30年的赞助性制度，可能因此而开始消亡。
——《时代周刊》
常见短语
常用短语：
- Untimely demise (过早离世) – Referring to a death that occurs at an unexpected or premature time.
- Example: The young actor’s untimely demise shocked his fans.
- Sudden demise (突然离世) – Describing a death that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly.
- Example: The politician’s sudden demise left a void in the political landscape.
- Tragic demise (悲惨离世) – Referring to a death that is characterized by tragedy or sorrow.
- Example: The accident resulted in the tragic demise of several passengers.
- Premature demise (过早离世) – Describing a death that occurs before the expected or natural time.
- Example: The athlete’s promising career was cut short by his premature demise.
- Unfortunate demise (不幸离世) – Referring to a death that is seen as unfortunate or unlucky.
- Example: The doctor’s efforts were in vain, and the patient met an unfortunate demise.
- Mysterious demise (神秘离世) – Describing a death that is surrounded by mystery or unresolved circumstances.
- Example: The detective was called to investigate the mysterious demise of a wealthy businessman.
- Demise of a legend (传奇的终结) – Referring to the death or end of a person who is considered a legend or iconic figure.
- Example: The demise of the music icon left a profound impact on the industry.
- Natural demise (自然离世) – Describing a death that occurs as a result of natural causes or old age.
- Example: The elderly woman peacefully passed away due to natural demise.
- Demise of a relationship (关系的结束) – Referring to the end or breakdown of a romantic or interpersonal relationship.
- Example: The constant conflicts led to the demise of their marriage.
- Political demise (政治的崩溃) – Describing the downfall or end of a political career or influence.
- Example: The scandal led to the political demise of the prominent politician.
- Financial demise (财务的破产) – Referring to the financial collapse or failure of a company or individual.
- Example: Poor financial management led to the demise of the once-thriving business.
- Corporate demise (公司的倒闭) – Describing the downfall or closure of a company or corporation.
- Example: The fierce competition in the market eventually led to the corporate demise.
- Slow demise (缓慢衰亡) – Referring to a gradual or prolonged decline or deterioration leading to an eventual end.
- Example: The industry’s slow demise was a result of changing consumer preferences.
- Inevitable demise (不可避免的终结) – Describing a death or end that is certain or unavoidable.
- Example: The crumbling infrastructure foreshadowed the city’s inevitable demise.
- Economic demise (经济的崩溃) – Referring to the collapse or decline of an economy or economic system.
- Example: The financial crisis resulted in the economic demise of the country.
- Demise of a dynasty (王朝的灭亡) – Describing the end or downfall of a ruling dynasty or royal family.
- Example: The civil war led to the demise of the ancient empire’s ruling dynasty.
- Demise of a tradition (传统的消亡) – Referring to the disappearance or extinction of a cultural or traditional practice.
- Example: Modernization and globalization have contributed to the demise of certain cultural traditions.
- Social demise (社会的衰败) – Describing the decline or deterioration of societal values, norms, or structures.
- Example: The rise in crime rates signaled the social demise of the neighborhood.
- Imminent demise (即将结束) – Referring to a death or end that is about to happen soon.
- Example: The doctor informed the family of the patient’s imminent demise.
- Emotional demise (情感的破裂) – Describing the breakdown or deterioration of emotional well-being or mental health.
- Example: The traumatic event led to her emotional demise.
- Demise of a dream (梦想的破灭) – Referring to the failure or abandonment of a cherished dream or aspiration.
- Example: The artist’s struggle and lack of recognition resulted in the demise of her artistic dreams.
- Social media demise (社交媒体的衰败) – Describing the decline or loss of popularity of a social media platform.
- Example: The emergence of new platforms led to the demise of the once-popular social media app.
- Creative demise (创作的衰败) – Referring to a decline or loss of creativity, inspiration, or artistic output.
- Example: The artist’s creative demise was evident in his recent works.
- Demise of hope (希望的消失) – Describing the loss or disappearance of hope or optimism.
- Example: The prolonged conflict resulted in the demise of hope for a peaceful resolution.
- Demise of innocence (纯真的消失) – Referring to the loss or end of innocence or naivety.
- Example: The harsh realities of life led to the demise of her innocence.
- Demise of a tradition (传统的消失) – Describing the disappearance or abandonment of a long-standing tradition or custom.
- Example: The younger generation’s lack of interest led to the demise of the cultural tradition.
- Demise of a species (物种的灭绝) – Referring to the extinction or disappearance of a particular species.
- Example: Human activities have contributed to the demise of many endangered species.
- Creative demise (创作的消亡) – Describing the decline or loss of creativity, inspiration, or artistic output.
- Example: The artist’s creative demise was evident in his recent works.
- Demise of a dream (梦想的消失) – Referring to the failure or abandonment of a cherished dream or aspiration.
- Example: The athlete’s career-ending injury led to the demise of his Olympic dream.
- Demise of trust (信任的破灭) – Describing the breakdown or loss of trust between individuals or in a relationship.
- Example: The betrayal resulted in the demise of trust between the friends.
同近义词
passing: a person’s death
decease: death
quietus: death or something that causes death, regarded as a release from life
