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Synonyms

dying

American  
[dahy-ing] / ˈdaɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. ceasing to live; approaching death; expiring.

    a dying man.

  2. of, relating to, or associated with death.

    his dying hour.

  3. given, uttered, or manifested just before death.

    her dying words.

  4. drawing to a close; ending.

    the dying year.

noun

  1. the act or process of ceasing to live, ending, or drawing to a close.

dying British  
/ ˈdaɪɪŋ /

verb

  1. the present participle of die 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. relating to or occurring at the moment of death

    a dying wish
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
dying Idioms  

  1. see under die.

Other Word Forms

  • half-dying adjective

Etymology

Origin of dying

1250–1300; Middle English. See die 1, -ing 2, -ing 1

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!"

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Vocabulary lists containing dying

Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6

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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.

We began to roll past dead and dying trees in various stages of decay.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

I told them about the ways the people in our state were struggling and dying, similar to what Roxanne told me was happening here with her family and community.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

For example, homeowners are already required to remove any dead or dying grasses, plants and trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Away from acting, French media reported that Baye publicly supported action to tackle climate change and reform French assisted dying legislation.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The wind seemed to be dying down a bit.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

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.