# pass the river

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pass-the-river
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To die.

## Examples

- The old man finally passed the river last night.
- After a long and difficult illness, the grandmother peacefully passed the river surrounded by her family.
- The poet wrote movingly about the quiet moment when a soul must leave this world and pass the river.

## Origin

An allusion to classical Greek mythology, specifically the crossing of the river Styx. This watercourse served as the boundary between the world of the living and Hades, the realm of the dead. The phrase traces the transition from one state to the other by way of this final geography.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.