give up the ghost

Verb

give up the ghost (third-person singular simple present gives up the ghost, present participle giving up the ghost, simple past gave up the ghost, past participle given up the ghost)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To cease clinging to life; to die.
   • And Ieſus cryed with a loude voice, and gaue vp the ghoſt.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 15:37

   Synonyms:

   yield up the ghost, yield the ghost, assume room temperature, auger in, be called home, be gathered to one's fathers, be like the the One, be no more, be with Jesus, be with the Lord

2. (figuratively, idiomatic, intransitive) To quit; to cease functioning.
   • My old computer finally gave up the ghost the other day.
   • On the long 1 in 100 ascent from Staveley to Heath she nearly stalled, and having taken 67¼ min. to cover the 38.2 miles to Nottingham instead of the 51 min. scheduled she gave up the ghost, and came off the train.1960 April, O. S. Nock, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 271 ("she" refers to a locomotive)
3. (intransitive) To cede a commitment to or identification with.
   • But McCartney, 50, is hardly ready to give up the ghost of his creative past.1993 February 8, “A Magical History Tour”, in Time
   • Burnett holds the door while Lowrey holds Francine. She's broken, crying, and giving up the ghost of her past.1995, Bad Boys