English Reference
Idiom idiom

till death do us part


Until death separates us; a common phrase stated between the bride and the groom at a Christian wedding, indicating a commitment to their union.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

They promised to stay together till death do us part.

He takes the vow of till death do us part very seriously.

Do you really mean till death do us part?

CONTEXTUAL

During their wedding ceremony, the couple repeated the traditional vows, promising to love each other till death do us part.

My grandparents have been married for sixty years and they still truly believe in the promise of till death do us part.

Even when they face difficult financial problems, they remember their commitment to stay together till death do us part.

The old man sat by his wife's hospital bed, proving that his vow of till death do us part was a lifelong reality.

COMPLEX

Standing before their families, they solemnly pledged their eternal devotion, vowing to remain faithful and united till death do us part.


first recorded 16th c.

Originates from the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, with the original wording being "till death us depart" (using the obsolete “to separate, part” sense of depart).


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

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    The moment of death.

  2. 02

    catch one's death

    To contract a serious illness, especially a nasty cold or other respiratory ailment and especially as a result of exposure to wet or chilly weather.

  3. 03

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    Something which is totally certain.

  4. 04

    death by a thousand paper cuts

    An ultimate negative outcome, such as the failure of a project, brought about by an excessive number of bureaucratic hurdles.

  5. 05

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    The boredom or disengagement that an audience experiences from poorly designed or overly verbose presentations using any type of presentation software.

  6. 06

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    To suffer repeatedly (often mentally rather than physically); to suffer extreme embarrassment or anxiety.

  7. 07

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    In most aspects; mostly; generally.

  8. 08

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    To embezzle, to steal from one's place of business.

Last updated August 10, 2026