Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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

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!"

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Earlier superluminous supernovae had occasionally shown one or two bumps, often explained as shock waves colliding with shells of gas surrounding the dying star.

From Science Daily • Jul. 6, 2026

"Madonna is the only one that spoke up for us in the 90s when people were dying from Aids. She talked about them," he said.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026

He asks us to imagine the Eye of Providence looking down on America on the night that Adams and Jefferson were dying.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

That everyone can improve their life through hard work is a core US belief, despite a fierce debate over whether limitless social mobility is dead, dying -- or never existed at all.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

He lived entirely alone in a perpetually dying forest.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "dying" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com