Dictionary

expire en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɛkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/
• /ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English expire, from Middle French expirer, from Latin expīrō, exspīrō, from ex- (“out”) + spīrō (“breathe, be alive”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To die.
   • The patient expired in hospital.
   • Soon the patient had no longer sufficient strength to sit up; the trunk of the body was inclined to the right side, the head high and thrown backward, the mouth wide open: she seemed to stifle rather than respire: lastly, speech and respiration failed her; she uttered, however, in a feeble voice, some incoherent words, said she felt she was dying, and, accordingly, expired the sixth day after entrance. 1833, R. J. Bertin, translated by Charles W. Chauncy, Treatise on the Diseases of the Heart, and Great Vessels, Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blnachard, page 185:
   • Hippolita, ſcarce more alive than her daughter, was regardleſs of every thing but her: but when the tender Iſabella’s care would have likewiſe removed her, while the ſurgeons examined Matilda’s wound, ſhe cried, remove me! never! never! I lived but in her, and will expire with her. 1764 December 24 (indicated as 1765), Onuphrio Muralto, translated by William Marshal [pseudonyms; Horace Walpole], chapter V, in The Castle of Otranto, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Lownds […], →OCLC, pages 190–191:
   • And then, his head ſinking on his pillow, he expired; at about half an hour after ten. 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CXIII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume VII, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 415:
   • People bled to death like gentlemen in an operating room or expired without comment in an oxygen tent. 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 168:
2. (intransitive) To lapse and become invalid.
   • My library card will expire next week.
3. (intransitive) To come to an end; to conclude.
   • And when the thousand yeeres are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, […] 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 20:7:
4. (ambitransitive) To exhale; to breathe out.
   • Animals expire carbon and plants inspire it; plants expire oxygen and animals inspire it. 1843, Loring Dudley Chapin, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
   • This chafed the boar; his nostrils flames expire. 1717, John Dryden, Meleager and Atalanta:
   • Anatomy exhibits the lungs in a continual motion of inspiring and expiring air. 1672, Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus, Or, The Anatomy of Consumptions:
5. (transitive) To give forth insensibly or gently, as a fluid or vapour; to emit in minute particles.
   • the expiring of cold out of the inward parts of the earth in winter 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
6. (transitive) To bring to a close; to terminate.
   • Expire the term / Of a despised life. c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
7. (transitive) To cause to lapse; to invalidate.
   • The site expires cached pages that are older than 24 hours.

Forms

Antonyms

inspire

Deriveds

expirable · expiree · unexpire · expiry

Relateds

respiration · spirit · inspire · expiration · respire

Synonyms

pass on · shuffle off this mortal coil · pay the debt of nature · darken · hand in one's checks · expire · forfare · pass the river · be with the Lord · be like the the One · be no more · assume room temperature · pass in one's checks · snuff it · liquidate · pass over · slip away · go the way of the dodo · keel over · knock off · kick off · exit · cash in · go the way of the dodo bird · give up the ghost · flatline · conk out · go the way of the dinosaurs · disincarnate · pop one's clogs · fall off the twig · lose the number of one's mess · cark it · go over to the majority · cross the Great Divide · perish · yield up the ghost · peg out · draw one's last breath · be gathered to one's fathers · go for a burton · drop off the hooks · bite the big one · close one's eyes for the last time · croak · pass away · take a dirt nap · decease · pop off · hand in one's dinner pail · join the choir invisible · push up daisies · run out · be with Jesus · go to one's reward · hop the twig · buy it · check out · kick the bucket · cross over · pay nature's debt · cross the Styx · cash in one's chips · sleep with one's fathers · pass · sink · depart · go west · go to glory · code · bite the biscuit · decompose · auger in · go out · give one's all · meet one's doom · meet one's end · dematerialize · turn up one's toes · meet one's maker · buy the farm · be called home · succumb · go the way of all flesh · pass in one's marble · bite the dust

Translations (49)

fr périmer (become invalid) · fi erääntyä (become invalid) · cmn 失效 (become invalid) · hu kifúj (to exhale (something)) · nl verlopen (become invalid) · scn spiriri (become invalid) · nl aflopen (become invalid) · sv gå ut (become invalid) · vi hết hạn (become invalid) · ca caducar (become invalid) · bg изпускам (to exhale (something)) · ru исте́чь (become invalid) · mi mōnehu (become invalid) · pl wygasnąć (become invalid) · hu lejár (become invalid) · ca expirar (become invalid) · th หมดอายุ (become invalid) · nl verstrijken (become invalid) · es vencer (become invalid) · de ausatmen (to exhale (something)) · it scadere (become invalid) · pl wygasać (become invalid) · de ablaufen (become invalid) · cmn 呼出 (to exhale (something)) · de erlöschen (become invalid) · es caducar (become invalid) · da udløbe (become invalid) · pl przeterminować się (become invalid) · nl uitblazen (to exhale (something)) · scn scàdiri (become invalid) · th หมดเขต (become invalid) · hu érvényét veszti (become invalid) · sv löpa ut (become invalid) · nl vervallen (become invalid) · ru истека́ть (become invalid) · fi vanheta (become invalid) · id kedaluwarsa (become invalid) · pt expirar (become invalid) · ja 失効する (become invalid) · hu kilehel (to exhale (something)) · es perimir (become invalid) · bg изтичам (become invalid) · de verfallen (become invalid) · es expirar (become invalid) · fi hengittää ulos (to exhale (something)) · nl uitademen (to exhale (something)) · fr expirer (become invalid) · nb utløpe (become invalid) · pt vencer (become invalid)