Grim Reaper

noun

1. the personification of death as a man or cloaked skeleton holding a scythe.

Grim Reaper

1. A figure commonly used to represent death. The Grim Reaper is a skeleton or solemn-looking man carrying a scythe, who cuts off people's lives as though he were harvesting grain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Grim Reaper¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

This bottle from Boss Dog Art Dept. offers a message from the Grim Reaper themselves: “Drink water or die.”

From Los Angeles Times

In 2003, he was responsible for a grim reaper, which was painted on the side of Thekla, a boat and nightclub venue in Bristol.

From BBC

Cartoonists often depicted the Grim Reaper seated behind the wheel.

From Slate

Two years before Murakami’s sworn admission, Larry Del Mese, former Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s chief of staff for a time, similarly testified that he had his Lennox Station Grim Reaper tattoo removed around 2018 or 2019.

From Los Angeles Times

The lineup includes an animated short about a magical underwater world, a story about snacking on doughnuts at the end of the world, a comedic riff on how the Grim Reaper himself came to be, an entire youth track of family-friendly films on Day 2 and much more.

From Seattle Times