noun
bucket list
BUK-it list
Bucket list (noun) means a list of experiences and achievements a person wants to have before they die. Example: “Seeing the northern lights was top of her bucket list.”
noun
1
A list of experiences and achievements a person wants to have before they die.
"Seeing the northern lights was top of her bucket list."
"We ticked another item off the bucket list in Kyoto."
adjective
1
Describing an experience considered a once-in-a-lifetime ambition.
"It is a proper bucket-list trip: three weeks and both poles of the island."
How to use bucket list
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA list of things you want to do before you die.
When to use it
Informal but universally understood, and heavy in travel marketing.
Memory tip
Hyphenate when it comes before a noun: a bucket-list destination.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
wish list
to-do list
life list
Common pairings
bucket-list trip
tick off the bucket list
add to my bucket list
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Seeing the northern lights was top of her _____.
Etymology
From the idiom kick the bucket, meaning to die; a bucket list is a list of things to do before then.
Synonyms
View more →
wish list
life list
to-do list
Related words
Frequently asked questions
Where does the term bucket list come from?
It comes from the old idiom kick the bucket, meaning to die, so a bucket list is what you hope to do before kicking the bucket. The phrase spread rapidly into general English after the 2007 film The Bucket List.
What is the difference between a bucket list and a to-do list?
A to-do list holds ordinary tasks that need finishing soon, such as errands and chores. A bucket list holds large, meaningful ambitions with no deadline beyond a lifetime, such as travel, milestones and once-only experiences.
What is the meaning of bucket list?
"bucket list" (noun) means a list of experiences and achievements a person wants to have before they die.
What is another word for bucket list?
Other words for "bucket list" include wish list, life list, to-do list.
