Definitions

death wish

NOUN

desire to die

Synonyms

WEAK

black despondency death instinct gloom and doom pessimism self-destructive urge suicidal despair

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.

If Evy is virtually alone in a house where strange noises are occurring at all hours, what would possess her to put on noise-canceling headphones, other than a death wish?

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Carter found that such high-sensation seekers are unequivocal on one point: they do not have a death wish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

"You would have to have a death wish to go out now," one Iranian journalist reflected.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

I don’t have some kind of death wish.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2023

If it is, they definitely haven’t read The Art of War, which points out that setting up camp in a ditch is a death wish.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman