Synonyms

Grim Reaper

American

noun

the personification of death as a man or cloaked skeleton holding a scythe.

Grim Reaper Cultural

A figure commonly used to represent death. The Grim Reaper is a skeleton or solemn-looking man carrying a scythe, who cuts off people's lives as though he were harvesting grain.

Usage

What is the Grim Reaper? The Grim Reaper is a fictional skeleton wearing a black robe and wielding a scythe, generally portrayed as the embodiment of death.How is term pronounced?[ grim ree-per ]

Etymology

Origin of Grim Reaper

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Some of the brides used very dark imagery, including images of the Grim Reaper. We weren't really expecting to see dramatic images like this," Thomas says.

From BBC

Many investors are hoping to sidestep the Grim Reaper of AI, reduce their exposure to the biggest technology stocks and still earn decent returns by beefing up their positions in these boring companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

And I wasn’t allowed to go to the funeral—Daddy thought it was bad luck to have a child so close to the Grim Reaper.

From Literature

One thing to be said in favor of the Grim Reaper: His taste in literature is pretty sound.

From The Wall Street Journal

If the woman at Cape Fear was actually the Grim Reaper, then I need to prepare for my time of death to be moved up approximately thirty years.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023