die

[ dahy ]

/ daɪ /

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See synonyms for: die / dice / died / dies on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), died, dy·ing.

to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.

(of something inanimate) to cease to exist: The laughter died on his lips.

to lose force, strength, or active qualities: Superstitions die slowly.

to cease to function; stop: The motor died.

to be no longer subject; become indifferent: to die to worldly matters.

to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually followed by away, out, or down): The storm slowly died down.

Theology. to lose spiritual life.

to faint or languish.

to suffer as if fatally: I'm dying of boredom!

to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.: I'm dying to see my home again.

to desire or want keenly or greatly: I'm dying for a cup of coffee.

Verb Phrases

die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease: The hoofbeats gradually died away.

die down, to become calm or quiet; subside.

die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced: Her friends are dying off.

die out,

to cease to exist; become extinct: Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.
to die away; fade; subside: The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.

OTHER WORDS FOR die

1 expire, depart.

See synonyms for die on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about die

die hard,

to die only after a bitter struggle.
to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty: Childhood beliefs die hard.

die standing up, Theater. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.

never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.

to die for, stunning; remarkable: That dress is to die for.

Origin of die

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English dien, deien, from Old Norse deyja; cf. dead, death

synonym study for die

1. Die, pass away ( pass on; pass ), perish mean to relinquish life. To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. Pass away (or pass on or pass ) is a commonly used euphemism implying a continuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away ( passed on or passed ). Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, perish connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH die

die , dye

Words nearby die

didst, didy, didymium, didymous, didynamous, die, die away, dieback, dieb. alt., dieb. secund., dieb. tert.

Other definitions for die (2 of 2)

die²

[ dahy ]

/ daɪ /

noun, plural dies for 1, 2, 4, dice for 3.

Machinery.

any of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or a stamping or forging machine.
a hollow device of steel, often composed of several pieces to be fitted into a stock, for cutting the threads of bolts or the like.
one of the separate pieces of such a device.
a steel block or plate with small conical holes through which wire, plastic rods, etc., are drawn.

an engraved stamp for impressing a design upon some softer material, as in coining money.

singular of dice.

Architecture. dado (def. 1).

verb (used with object), died, die·ing.

to impress, shape, or cut with a die.

Origin of die

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English de (in early Modern English taking the vowel of the plural form dice), from Old French de(i), presumably from Latin datum “given” (neuter past participle of dare “to give”), perhaps in the derivative sense “put, placed,” hence “played, cast”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT DIE

What is a basic definition of die?

Die is a verb that means to stop living, to stop existing, or to stop functioning. Die has several other senses as a verb and a noun.

When somebody dies, they are no longer alive. They have become dead. All living things will eventually die. Someone can die from disease, violence, or anything else that causes their vital organs (heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs) to stop working.

Real-life examples: Everyone who is dead has died. Plants die when they don’t get enough sunlight and water. Animals die from many of the same things as humans. Antibiotics are designed to cause disease-causing bacteria to die.
Used in a sentence: I forgot to water my sunflower, so it died.

For nonliving things, the word die means to stop existing. If your hope dies, for example, you don’t have hope anymore. It’s gone.

Used in a sentence: My dreams of being a rock star will never die.

For machinery or electronics, to die means to stop working or functioning. Often, this sense is used to refer to batteries or an engine dying, that is losing their power. It can also be used to describe something that is broken beyond repair.

Used in a sentence: I managed to upload all of my files before my laptop died.

Die is also used in several different idioms that have nothing to do with death. For example, the idiom to die for means to want something a lot. To die laughing means to be very amused.

Where does die come from?

The first records of the term die come from around 1150. It ultimately comes from the Old Norse verb deyja.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for die?

What are some words that share a root or word element with die?

What are some words that often get used in discussing die?

What are some words die may be commonly confused with?

How is die used in real life?

Die is, sadly, a common word that means to stop being alive.

Better to die fighting for freedom, than be a prisoner all the days of your life.

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) January 15, 2021

Nearly 400,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus and the pandemic continues to soar. We need to aggressively increase vaccine production and get doses into the arms of everyone as soon as possible. Tens of thousands of lives are at stake.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 16, 2021

I don't know what's more depressing: The fact my cat died or that I went shopping to feel better and all I bought myself was a new bath mat.

— Stephanie McMaster (@Smethanie) June 23, 2012

Try using die!

Which of the following is not able to die?

A. fish
B. a chair
C. an oak tree
D. bacteria

How to use die in a sentence

He was due to begin treatment Monday, the day after he died.
A rare disease, a covid diagnosis, a painful decision: The death of basketball coach Lew Hill|Dave Sheinin|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Schottenheimer, who died Monday at the age of 77 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, was something of surprise hire to replace Norv Turner before the 2001 season.
Marty Schottenheimer’s legacy can be measured in teams’ regret over letting him go|Leonard Shapiro|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
The Lakers marked the anniversary of the crash in a low-key way last month, and Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, asked people to focus on the victims’ lives rather than the way they died.
Helicopter pilot flying Kobe Bryant didn’t follow his training when flying into disorienting clouds, federal investigators say|Ian Duncan|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Though it can be frustrating to die frequently in these scenarios, with each death you hone your strategy to get the timing right, making it satisfying in the long run.
‘Little Nightmares II’ made me dread every moment. And I loved it.|Elise Favis|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

The patient had used up all her time planning her brother’s funeral after he died of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Lacking a Lifeline: How a federal effort to help low-income Americans pay their phone bills failed amid the pandemic|Tony Romm|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Yves Albarello, MP of Seine-et-Marne, said the gunmen told police they were ready to “die as martyrs.”
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Though this too is debatable given that 25,000 to 40,000 people a year die of influenza—the vast majority of them unvaccinated.
When You Get the Flu This Winter, You Can Blame Anti-Vaxxers|Kent Sepkowitz|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They made it home, after which he did die, she nursing him to the end.
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is a multimillion-dollar business in which roughly 15 million fowl die a year.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"A camp-fire would hardly flash and die out like that, Sarge," he answered thoughtfully.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
But men, through neglecting the rules of health, pass quickly to old age, and die before reaching that term.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor
I cannot believe that God would think it necessary to come on earth as a man, and die on the Cross.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
With three or four more wounds, and the words with which he aided her to die, he finished with her.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
His symptoms became so serious that often we expected nothing less than that he would die on our hands.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for die (1 of 2)

die¹

/ (daɪ) /

verb dies, dying or died (mainly intr)

(of an organism or its cells, organs, etc) to cease all biological activity permanentlyshe died of pneumonia

(of something inanimate) to cease to exist; come to an endthe memory of her will never die

(often foll by away, down, or out) to lose strength, power, or energy, esp by degrees

(often foll by away or down) to become calm or quiet; subsidethe noise slowly died down

to stop functioningthe engine died

to languish or pine, as with love, longing, etc

(usually foll by of) informal to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)

theol to lack spiritual life within the soul, thus separating it from God and leading to eternal punishment

(tr) to undergo or suffer (a death of a specified kind) (esp in phrases such as die a saintly death)

(foll by to) to become indifferent or apathetic (to)to die to the world

never say die informal never give up

die hard to cease to exist after resistance or a struggleold habits die hard

die in harness to die while still working or active, prior to retirement

be dying (foll by for or an infinitive) to be eager or desperate (for something or to do something)I'm dying to see the new house

to die for informal highly desirablea salary to die for

Word Origin for die

Old English dīegan, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse deyja, Old High German touwen

usage for die

It was formerly considered incorrect to use the preposition from after die, but of and from are now both acceptable: he died of/from his injuries

British Dictionary definitions for die (2 of 2)

die²

/ (daɪ) /

noun

a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device
a tool of metal, silicon carbide, or other hard material with a conical hole through which wires, rods, or tubes are drawn to reduce their diameter

an internally-threaded tool for cutting external threadsCompare tap 2 (def. 6)

a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object castSee also die-cast

architect the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic

another name for dice (def. 2)

as straight as a die perfectly honest

the die is cast the decision that commits a person irrevocably to an action has been taken

Word Origin for die

C13 dee, from Old French de, perhaps from Vulgar Latin datum (unattested) a piece in games, noun use of past participle of Latin dare to play

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with die

die

In addition to the idioms beginning with die

die away
die down
die for
die hard
die in harness
die is cast, the
die laughing
die off
die out
die to
die with one's boots on

also see:

curl up (and die)
do or die
it's to die
never say die

die

OTHER WORDS FOR die

Idioms about die

Origin of die

synonym study for die

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH die

Words nearby die

Other definitions for die (2 of 2)

Origin of die

MORE ABOUT DIE

What is a basic definition of die?

Where does die come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is die used in real life?

Try using die!

Words related to die

How to use die in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for die (1 of 2)

Word Origin for die

usage for die

British Dictionary definitions for die (2 of 2)

Word Origin for die

Other Idioms and Phrases with die