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

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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

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

How to use die in a sentence

“We know covid-19 is spreading due to people engaging in these high-risk activities, and it needs to stop or more Prince Georgians will get sick and die,” he said.
National Harbor curfew issued for minors as D.C. region sets coronavirus record for 17th day|Rachel Chason, Dana Hedgpeth, Fenit Nirappil|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Between 2017 and 2019, 114 people were injured and one person died in crashes involving e-scooters, according to the District Department of Transportation.
D.C. Council weighs making it easier for e-scooter riders to collect damages after crashes|Luz Lazo|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Despite stringent lockdown measures in place since March, widespread community transmission has allowed the highly contagious virus to creep back into facilities through asymptomatic employees, threatening the elderly residents most at risk of dying.
Maryland and Virginia nursing homes battle explosive covid-19 outbreaks — again|Rebecca Tan, Rachel Chason|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
In these places, the number of people who have died of covid-19 in the United States is the same or many times greater than the county’s population.
How much is 250,000 deaths? Enough to empty wide swaths of the country.|Lauren Tierney, Tim Meko|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

Either make arrangements before you die, or tell a close family member what you want done.
Hints From Heloise: Framing family memories|Heloise Heloise|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Slander iz played on a tin horn, while truth steals forth like the dieing song ov a lute.
Josh Billings, Hiz Sayings|Henry Wheeler Shaw
It's more interesting than dieing, and will be a novelty in this house.
Bab: A Sub-Deb|Mary Roberts Rinehart
This summer, great death chanced in this land, manie dieing of the pestilence, wherewith sundrie places were infected.
Chronicles (3 of 6): Historie of England (1 of 9)|Raphaell Holinshed
Don't see how the cattle live at all and there is lots of them dieing.
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands|H. Hagedorn.
My private opinyun ov a coquet iz, that if they suckceed in dieing an old maid, they dont deserve all the punishment they receive.
The Complete Works of Josh Billings|Henry W. Shaw

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

Other definitions for die (2 of 2)

Origin of 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