Selbstmord aus Angst vor dem Tod

German

Alternative forms

• Selbstmord aus Angst vor dem Tode

Etymology

Literally, “suicide for fear of death”. After a bonmot by Otto von Bismarck. From German, the phrase was calqued into various languages.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

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Noun

Selbstmord aus Angst vor dem Tod m

1. (idiomatic) a hazardous and foredoomed course of action taken by someone who finds themselves in a slowly but continually deteriorating position

Descendants

• Arabic: اِنْتِحارٌ خَوْفاً مِن الْمَوْت (intiḥārun ḵawfan min al-mawt)
• French: suicide par peur de la mort
• Persian: خودکشی از ترس مرگ (xod-koši az tars-e marg)