ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yield the ghost

idiom
Meaning

To give up the ghost.


Examples
SIMPLE

My old laptop finally yielded the ghost yesterday.

CONTEXTUAL

The ancient washing machine made a loud clanking noise before it finally yielded the ghost mid-cycle.

COMPLEX

After years of faithful service, the engine sputtered one final time and yielded the ghost, leaving the travelers stranded in the middle of the desert.

Anchors to
Related idioms5entries
  1. 01

    ghost at the feast

    A presence that mars one's enjoyment by causing guilt or reviving unwelcome memories.

  2. 02

    ghost from one's past

    Something unpleasant from one's past that "haunts" them (makes them feel uneasy) to the present day.

  3. 03

    ghost home

    A residence intentionally kept vacant by an absentee owner, especially a foreign investor, as a financially safe asset to be liquidated at a convenient time.

  4. 04

    give up the ghost

    To cease clinging to life; to die.

  5. 05

    yield up the ghost

    For a person, to die.

© 2026 English Reference