What are someone's 'last words' called?
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Track title: Peaceful Mind
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Chapters
00:00 What Are Someone'S 'Last Words' Called?
00:15 Accepted Answer Score 36
00:55 Answer 2 Score 8
01:08 Answer 3 Score 2
01:35 Answer 4 Score 5
02:05 Thank you
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ACCEPTED ANSWER
Score 36
Last words is a fairly common term. There are numerous instances in movies where the antagonist asks the protagonist
"Any last words before I kill you?"
(.. Usually, the hero will make a pun and eventually manage to escape!)
You can also call it a person's
- final words
- dying words
- ultimate words
(Note: The following is only applicable if the person commits suicide).
If it is in written form, it could probably be their death note or suicide note.
I am not sure if there exists an established term for the final written words of a person that died a natural death.
ANSWER 2
Score 8
You could call it their swansong (or swan song) if their final words were part of a notable performance or activity.
ANSWER 3
Score 5
There is also the legal term dying declaration that could be appropriate in certain situations:
Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, a dying declaration is defined as a statement made by a declarant, who is now unavailable, who made the statement under a belief of certain or impending death, and the statement concerns the causes or circumstances of impending death. A dying declaration is admissible as an exception to the hearsay rule in any criminal homicide case or a civil case. -- Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School
ANSWER 4
Score 2
I agree last words or final words are the most common and canonical answers, but since this is for all the English language ...
As a purely literary answer, the word envoi refers to an ending to a story or poem in which the author offers a summary or commentary on the work as a whole rather than simply "an ending." And with a little creative liberties this could be extended to someone's final statements where appropriate.