At death's door Meaning in English
expression
ˈæt/ /ˈdɛθs/ /ˈdɔɹ
AT DETHS DOR
ˈæt/ /dɛθs/ /dˈɔː
AT DETHS DAW
Definition
To be extremely sick or close to dying; at the point where someone might soon die.
Usage & Nuances
This is an idiomatic, dramatic phrase. Used in both serious (actual illness) and exaggerated, humorous ways ('I was at death's door with that cold!'). Not used for people who are simply old—only for severe illness or near-death.
Spanish: al borde de la muerte - a punto de morirPortuguese (BR): à beira da morte - prestes a morrerPortuguese (PT): à beira da morte - prestes a morrerChinese (Simplified): 奄奄一息 - 濒临死亡Chinese (Traditional): 奄奄一息 - 瀕臨死亡Hindi: मृत्यु के कगार परArabic: على حافة الموتBengali: মৃত্যুর দুয়ারে - একেবারে মরণের কাছাকাছিRussian: при смерти - на пороге смертиJapanese: 死の淵にいる - 死にかけているVietnamese: cận kề cái chết - thập tử nhất sinhKorean: 죽음의 문턱에 있다 - 거의 죽을 지경이다Turkish: ölümün eşiğinde - ölüm döşeğindeUrdu: موت کے دہانے پر - قریب المرگIndonesian: di ambang kematian - hampir mati
Example Sentences
After days of high fever, he was at death's door.
basic
She looked at death's door but recovered quickly.
basic
My grandfather was at death's door last winter.
basic
With that horrible flu, I honestly felt like I was at death's door.
natural
He joked that after eating that spicy food, he was at death's door.
natural
The doctors said he was at death's door, but he made a full recovery.
natural