# rest his soul

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rest-his-soul
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used parenthetically to mark the referent as being deceased

## Examples

- My grandfather, rest his soul, loved to garden.
- She often remembers her mother, rest her soul, whenever she bakes this bread.
- The old carpenter, rest his soul, left behind a workshop filled with tools that no one else knows how to use.

## Origin

From the earlier religious formula God rest his soul, in which God is invoked to grant the deceased person eternal repose.

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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.