verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dying
Explanation
Something that's dying is about to die or is getting ready to stop existing. A shriveled up plant that hasn't been watered in days is probably dying. Dying is a process that will happen to us all: living things eventually die. But non-living things can be dying, too: a battery that doesn't have much juice left is dying, and so is a TV show that's bombing in the ratings. A craft that's losing popularity can be called a dying art. States of extreme stress or anticipation can also be described as a form of dying, as in "I'm dying to know how this book ends!"
Vocabulary lists containing dying
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Children were dying, and as the father of two young girls, I couldn’t comprehend why he would turn away from science.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Recent maternity safety scandals in Morecambe Bay, East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford all heard similar, devastating stories of mothers and babies dying and a reluctance to do caesareans.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The dying embers of earnings season also kept investors busy.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Through telescopes or long-exposure photography, however, they reveal spectacular details including glowing clouds of gas, dying stars, and stellar nurseries scattered throughout our galaxy.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
Miss Myrt dying practically on the eve of school starting up.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
