diff --git a/core/modules/dblog/tests/src/Functional/DbLogTest.php b/core/modules/dblog/tests/src/Functional/DbLogTest.php
index 0756315ee5..878b809655 100644
--- a/core/modules/dblog/tests/src/Functional/DbLogTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/dblog/tests/src/Functional/DbLogTest.php
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ public function testTemporaryUser() {
     $this->assertText('Dblog test log message');
 
     // Delete the user.
-    user_delete($tempuser->id());
+    $tempuser->delete();
     $this->drupalGet('user/' . $tempuser_uid);
     $this->assertResponse(404);
 
diff --git a/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserDeleteTest.php b/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserDeleteTest.php
index a015d70483..928c095ec2 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserDeleteTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserDeleteTest.php
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ public function testUserDeleteMultiple() {
     // We should be able to load one of the users.
     $this->assertNotNull(User::load($user_a->id()));
     // Delete the users.
-    user_delete_multiple($uids);
+    $storage = $this->container->get('entity_type.manager')->getStorage('user');
+    $users = $storage->loadMultiple($uids);
+    $storage->delete($users);
     // Test if the roles assignments are deleted.
     $query = $connection->select('user__roles', 'r');
     $roles_after_deletion = $query
diff --git a/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserLegacyTest.php b/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserLegacyTest.php
index cdf4e9751f..46abae4aa4 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserLegacyTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/user/tests/src/Kernel/UserLegacyTest.php
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class UserLegacyTest extends KernelTestBase {
   protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
     $this->installEntitySchema('user');
+    $this->installSchema('user', ['users_data']);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -59,4 +60,28 @@ public function testUserView() {
     $this->assertEquals(4, count(user_view_multiple($entities)));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests that user_delete throws a deprecation error.
+   *
+   * @expectedDeprecation user_delete() is deprecated in drupal:8.8.0. Use the user entity's delete method to delete the user. See https://www.drupal.org/node/3051463
+   */
+  public function testUserDelete() {
+    User::create(['name' => 'foo', 'uid' => 10])->save();
+    user_delete(10);
+    $this->assert(NULL === User::load(10), "User has been deleted");
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests that user_delete_multiple throws a deprecation error.
+   *
+   * @expectedDeprecation user_delete_multiple() is deprecated in drupal:8.8.0. Use the entity storage system to delete the users. See https://www.drupal.org/node/3051463
+   */
+  public function testUserDeleteMultiple() {
+    User::create(['name' => 'foo', 'uid' => 10])->save();
+    User::create(['name' => 'bar', 'uid' => 11])->save();
+    user_delete_multiple([10, 11]);
+    $this->assert(NULL === User::load(10), "User 10 has been deleted");
+    $this->assert(NULL === User::load(11), "User 11 has been deleted");
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/user/user.module b/core/modules/user/user.module
index 2afbee3660..772c4e23b9 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/user.module
+++ b/core/modules/user/user.module
@@ -864,8 +864,17 @@ function user_cancel_methods() {
  *
  * @param int $uid
  *   A user ID.
+ *
+ * @deprecated in drupal:8.8.0 and will be removed from drupal:9.0.0. Use the user
+ *   entity's delete method to delete the user.
+ * @code
+ *   Drupal::entityTypeManager->getStorage('user')->load($uid)->delete();
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * @see https://www.drupal.org/node/3051463
  */
 function user_delete($uid) {
+  @trigger_error("user_delete() is deprecated in drupal:8.8.0. Use the user entity's delete method to delete the user. See https://www.drupal.org/node/3051463", E_USER_DEPRECATED);
   user_delete_multiple([$uid]);
 }
 
@@ -875,13 +884,19 @@ function user_delete($uid) {
  * @param int[] $uids
  *   An array of user IDs.
  *
- * @see hook_ENTITY_TYPE_predelete()
- * @see hook_ENTITY_TYPE_delete()
+ * @deprecated in drupal:8.8.0 and will be removed from drupal:9.0.0. Use the
+ *   entity storage system to delete the users.
+ * @code
+ *   $storage_handler = \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('user');
+ *   $users = $storage_handler->loadMultiple($uids);
+ *   $storage_handler->delete($users);
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * @see https://www.drupal.org/node/3051463
  */
 function user_delete_multiple(array $uids) {
-  $user_storage = \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('user');
-  $users = $user_storage->loadMultiple($uids);
-  $user_storage->delete($users);
+  @trigger_error("user_delete_multiple() is deprecated in drupal:8.8.0. Use the entity storage system to delete the users. See https://www.drupal.org/node/3051463", E_USER_DEPRECATED);
+  entity_delete_multiple('user', $uids);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityCrudHookTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityCrudHookTest.php
index df9880714f..a3566fdd6c 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityCrudHookTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityCrudHookTest.php
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ public function testUserHooks() {
     ]);
 
     $GLOBALS['entity_crud_hook_test'] = [];
-    user_delete($account->id());
+    $account->delete();
 
     $this->assertHookMessageOrder([
       'entity_crud_hook_test_user_predelete called',
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityLegacyTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityLegacyTest.php
index a472facc98..ca502d4425 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityLegacyTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Entity/EntityLegacyTest.php
@@ -34,6 +34,21 @@ protected function setUp() {
     $this->installEntitySchema('entity_test_rev');
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests that entity_delete_multiple triggers an error.
+   *
+   * @expectedDeprecation entity_delete_multiple is deprecated in drupal:8.0.0 and will be removed in drupal:9.0.0. Use the entity storage's delete() method to delete multiple entities. @see https://www.drupal.org/node/3051072
+   *
+   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityStorageException
+   */
+  public function testEntityDeleteMultiple() {
+    EntityTest::create(['name' => 'published entity'])->save();
+    EntityTest::create(['name' => 'published entity'])->save();
+    $this->assertCount(2, \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('entity_test')->loadMultiple());
+    entity_delete_multiple('entity_test', [1, 2]);
+    $this->assertCount(0, \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('entity_test')->loadMultiple());
+  }
+
   /**
    * @expectedDeprecation entity_load_multiple() is deprecated in Drupal 8.0.0 and will be removed before Drupal 9.0.0. Use the entity type storage's loadMultiple() method. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2266845
    * @expectedDeprecation entity_load() is deprecated in Drupal 8.0.0 and will be removed before Drupal 9.0.0. Use the entity type storage's load() method. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2266845
@@ -121,19 +136,4 @@ public function testEntityView() {
     $this->assertEquals(4, count(entity_view_multiple($entities, 'default')));
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Tests that entity_delete_multiple triggers an error.
-   *
-   * @expectedDeprecation entity_delete_multiple is deprecated in drupal:8.0.0 and will be removed in drupal:9.0.0. Use the entity storage's delete() method to delete multiple entities. @see https://www.drupal.org/node/3051072
-   *
-   * @throws \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityStorageException
-   */
-  public function testEntityDeleteMultiple() {
-    EntityTest::create(['name' => 'published entity'])->save();
-    EntityTest::create(['name' => 'published entity'])->save();
-    $this->assertCount(2, \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('entity_test')->loadMultiple());
-    entity_delete_multiple('entity_test', [1, 2]);
-    $this->assertCount(0, \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('entity_test')->loadMultiple());
-  }
-
 }