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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

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.

Austin Scott, Republican congressman from Georgia and senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, strongly criticised Trump's threats about a civilisation dying.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

"Nothing about grieving your partner dying is nice, but you shouldn't have added complications."

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Although the facility was meant to care for the dying, its patient mortality rate was about 2.3% during the last five years, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

The disease is inherited and currently incurable, with many children dying within a few years of diagnosis.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

“How I am supposed to make peace with my coyote dying for no good reason, all because of what I did?”

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

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.