euthanized

4 synonyms for euthanized, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — Put to death painlessly, usually by injection, to end suffering from illness or injury. Used chiefly of animals.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

put down put to sleep put out of its misery assisted to die

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

Put to death painlessly, usually by injection, to end suffering from illness or injury. Used chiefly of animals.

“The horse had a broken leg and was euthanized at the track.”

put down put to sleep put out of its misery

2. verb

Of a person: helped to die deliberately to end incurable suffering, where the law permits it.

“He asked to be euthanized once the pain became unmanageable.”

assisted to die

How to use euthanized

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

humanely euthanized had to be euthanized euthanized at the clinic

Clinical and neutral in veterinary and medical contexts; in ordinary speech about a pet, 'put down' or 'put to sleep' is far commoner.

Etymology

From euthanasia, from Greek eu 'good' and thanatos 'death'; the American spelling of the past tense of euthanize (British: euthanised).

Full origin of euthanized →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between euthanized and put to sleep?

They describe the same act; 'put to sleep' is the gentler everyday phrase vets use with owners, while 'euthanized' is the clinical term that appears on records. 'Put to sleep' can also just mean sedated, so the context matters.

Is it euthanized or euthanised?

Both are correct — euthanized is the American spelling and euthanised the British and Australian one. Choose whichever matches the rest of your writing and stay consistent.

What is the difference between euthanasia and assisted dying?

In euthanasia another person, usually a doctor, administers the drug that causes death. In assisted dying, or assisted suicide, the doctor supplies the means but the person takes it themselves. The legal position of the two differs sharply between countries.

Nearby words

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