the.com/passed away
death wearing a cardigan, so nobody has to say the word out loud.
means a softened way of saying someone died, chosen to comfort the living more than describe the dead.
from traces to middle english pass, meaning to go beyond or depart, paired with away to suggest a gentle transition rather than an ending; euphemisms for death have existed in every language because the plain word has always felt too heavy for polite company.
funeral industryprefers it heavily in obituaries and eulogies
linguistics termcalled a death euphemism, studied cross-culturally
legal documentsstill use blunt died, no softening allowed
children's booksoften use it to soften death for kids