# suicide

/ˈsuəˌsaɪd/ (US) · /sˈuːɪsˌaɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/suicide
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. ending one's own life

noun · CEFR B2

the act of intentionally killing yourself.

For teachers: the act of intentionally taking one's own life. Uncountable in the abstract sense; countable when referring to specific instances.

- The charity provides a 24-hour phone line for people who are thinking about suicide.
- Public health initiatives have focused on reducing the stigma surrounding mental health to help prevent suicide among vulnerable populations.

### 2. ruining a career or plan

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

an action that is likely to destroy your career, reputation, or a business.

For teachers: a course of action that is likely to result in the ruin of one's own interests, career, or organization.

- Quitting his job before finding a new one was professional suicide.
- The CEO's decision to ignore the safety warnings was described by industry analysts as corporate suicide.

### 3. mixed soda drink

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang · Informal

a drink made by mixing all the different soda flavors together from a machine.

For teachers: a beverage created by combining all available flavors at a soda fountain.

- The kids at the party were all drinking suicides from the soda fountain.
- While the adults chose single-flavor sodas, the teenagers experimented by creating a suicide with every syrup available in the dispenser.

### 4. sprint exercise

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a type of exercise where you run back and forth between lines at increasing distances.

For teachers: a conditioning drill consisting of a series of sprints of increasing lengths, each followed by a return to the starting point.

- The basketball coach made the team run suicides at the end of practice.
- Exhausted after the scrimmage, the players were nonetheless ordered to complete three sets of suicides to build their endurance.

### 5. to end one's own life

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to intentionally kill yourself.

For teachers: to intentionally take one's own life. Intransitive; often replaced by 'commit suicide' in general usage.

- The character in the novel decided to suicide after losing everything.
- While the verb form is used in some clinical or academic texts, most speakers prefer the phrase 'to commit suicide' in daily conversation.

### 6. to make a murder look like suicide

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Informal

to kill someone but make it look like they killed themselves.

For teachers: to kill a person and manipulate the scene to suggest the death was a suicide. Transitive; often used in the context of conspiracy theories.

- Some people believe the witness didn't kill himself but was actually suicided.
- The internet was flooded with theories claiming the high-profile prisoner had been suicided by those who feared his testimony.

## Examples

- The news report discussed the rise in teen suicide.
- Mental health professionals work tirelessly to provide support and resources for suicide prevention in local communities.
- The philosopher argued that the act of suicide represents a profound intersection of individual autonomy and social responsibility, challenging the ethical frameworks of the era.

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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.