Meaning & use
rest in peace
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A wish or prayer that someone who has died may lie peacefully.
Grammar: Used as a complete formulaic expression, often after a person's name or alone as a sentence.
Patterns
- rest in peace, <name>
- may someone rest in peace
- RIP
She was a kind teacher; rest in peace, Mrs. Alvarez.
The whole village gathered to say, 'Rest in peace,' at the funeral.
His family asked that he be allowed to rest in peace after so many years of illness.
phrasefixed phrasereligion
Used to express hope that someone who has died is now at peace, especially in Christian tradition.
Grammar: Often written on headstones or said in prayers; not used for living people.
Patterns
- rest in peace
- may he/she rest in peace
The priest ended the service with the words, 'Rest in peace.'
On the old gravestone were the words: 'Rest in peace, beloved mother.'
Common combinations
- rest in peace
- The message on the card said simply, 'Rest in peace.'
- may he rest in peace
- May he rest in peace after his long struggle.
- RIP
- She wrote 'RIP' under the photo of her grandfather.
Synonyms and how they differ
- RIP
- The abbreviation is used informally, especially online, while 'rest in peace' is the full, more formal phrase.
- requiescat in pace
- A Latin phrase used in some Christian traditions; it means the same but is much more formal and less common.
Commonly confused: rest in peace or rest assured?
rest in peace vs rest assured
This means 'be certain' and is used for living people, not for the dead. 'Rest in peace' is only for someone who has died.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'rest in peace' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Only option B uses the phrase in its fixed meaning of wishing peace for someone who has died. The other options use 'rest' in its ordinary sense of relaxing, which does not combine with 'in peace' in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rest in peace”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.