rest in pieces

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Said to mock a deceased person, especially one who has been hated or reviled.

Register: derogatory, humorous, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

For quotations using this term, see Citations:rest in pieces.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “rest in pieces” mean?

Said to mock a deceased person, especially one who has been hated or reviled.

Is “rest in pieces” formal or informal?

rest in pieces is generally derogatory, humorous, slang.