Meaning trap
check out
die (slang)
to die; to pass away (used informally or humorously, often to soften the topic or add a casual tone).
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to die; to pass away (used informally or humorously, often to soften the topic or add a casual tone).
'check out' also has the more basic meaning 'leave a hotel'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Sadly, the old actor checked out last night after a long illness.
While the phrase 'check out' can mean to leave a hotel, in informal contexts it is sometimes used as a euphemism for dying, though this usage is not suitable for academic writing.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: He checked out from cancer last year.
Say: He died of cancer last year. / He passed away last year.
'Check out' for dying is jokey slang; in a real or respectful context, use 'pass away'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
This sense is jokey/slang; 'passed from this life' is solemn-formal — the opposite tone.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
check out (die)
- finally
- for good
- before his time
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- check out (leave a hotel) — 'check out' also has the more basic meaning 'leave a hotel'; this is the advanced sense.