死|しshi[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noundeath
   人ひとは生うまれるやいなや、死しに向むかう。↗

   As soon as man is born, he begins to die.
2. noun, baseball(an) out
3. noundeath penalty (by strangulation or decapitation; most severe of the five ritsuryō punishments)

• Synonym死亡しぼうNeutralObjective term for records, reports and statistics, as in 「死亡事故」 and 「死亡率」; also works as a suru verb. 「死」 is broader and can be abstract.
• Synonym死去しきょWrittenA person's death, common in news reports and obituaries like 「〇〇氏死去」; only for humans, while 「死」 covers all living things.
• Synonym逝去せいきょFormalHonorific term showing respect for the deceased, as in 「ご逝去」; typical of obituaries and condolences. 「死」 carries no such respect.
• Synonym物故ぶっこWrittenWritten, euphemistic way to refer to a person's death, as in 「物故者」; often seen in lists and registers. 「死」 is more direct.
• Synonym他界たかいNeutralEuphemism for passing away, as in 「祖父が他界した」; literally means the other world. 「死」 is more direct.
• Synonym終焉しゅうえんWrittenThe end of a life or of an era, with a literary flavor, as in 「時代の終焉」. 「死」 is the general concept.
• Synonym没ぼつWrittenDeath, often in chronologies like 「〜年没」; also the rejection of a manuscript. 「死」 can stand alone as subject or object.
• Synonym辞世じせいWrittenBidding farewell to this world; also a poem written at the moment of death, as in 「辞世の句」. 「死」 is the general concept.
• Synonym死没しぼつWrittenWritten word for death, used in statistics and records like 「死没者」. 「死」 is the general concept.
• Synonym絶命ぜつめいWrittenWritten word for the moment life ends, breathing one's last; used as 「絶命する」. 「死」 is the general concept and does not work as a verb.
• Synonym永眠えいみんWrittenEuphemism picturing death as eternal sleep; found in obituaries and eulogies. 「死」 is blunt and carries no note of mourning.
• Synonym長逝ちょうせいWrittenWritten word meaning the same as 「逝去」 or 「永眠」, with a solemn air; very rarely used. 「死」 is the ordinary term.
• Synonym落命らくめいWrittenLosing one's life, typically in accidents or battle. 「死」 is not limited by cause and can also be abstract.
• SynonymデスNeutralLoanword for death, seen in game and music titles; also means death metal. In everyday speech 「死」 is the normal choice.
• Related往生おうじょうNeutralBuddhist term for rebirth in the Pure Land; also dying, or giving up a struggle. 「死」 has no religious coloring.
• Related一死いっしWrittenWritten word for laying down one's life, as in 「一死を以て」; in baseball it also means one out. 「死」 is broader.
• Related絶息ぜっそくWrittenWritten word for breathing one's last, stressing the stopping of breath; can also mean things ceasing. 「死」 is the general concept.
• Related寂滅じゃくめつWrittenBuddhist term for the nirvana state free of earthly desires; also used for dying, with a religious ring. 「死」 is the general concept.
• Related死にしにNeutralMostly a prefix or compound element, as in 「死に顔」 and 「死に物狂い」; rarely used alone. 「死」 can stand by itself.
• Related亡ぼうWrittenPrefix marking someone as deceased, as in 「亡父」 or 「亡妻」; rarely used alone. 「死」 works on its own as a noun.
• Related昇天しょうてんNeutralRising to heaven, hence dying, with a religious ring; also the Ascension of Christ. 「死」 carries no note of faith.
• Related人死にひとじにNeutralA death in an accident or disaster, as in 「人死にが出る」. 「死」 is not limited by cause or situation.
• Related入滅にゅうめつWrittenBuddhist term for the death of the Buddha, high priests or saints. 「死」 covers all living things and carries no reverence.

Use 「死」 for death as a general idea, as in 「死を恐れる」 or 「父の死」. For objective records and statistics pick 「死亡」; for news and obituaries 「死去」; to show respect 「逝去」. 「他界」, 「永眠」 and 「物故」 are softer ways to say someone passed away. 「終焉」 adds a literary note to the end of a life or era. The rest are written, religious (「往生」, 「寂滅」, 「入滅」, 「昇天」) or specialized terms; 「デス」 is a loanword for games and music.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （シ）（ヒトのみならず、生物せいぶつが）死しぬこと。生命せいめいを失うしなうこと。生物せいぶつの生命せいめい活動かつどうが止とまること。
2. （シ）（汎用的はんようてき、比喩的ひゆてきに）滅ほろぶこと。消きえること。消滅しょうめつ。
3. （シ）力ちからを失うしなうこと。無効むこうとなること。
4. （シ）死しぬことを覚悟かくごして何なんかをすること。