Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense dies, present participle dying, past tense, past participle died
1. verb [no passive]
When people, animals, and plants die, they stop living.
A year later my dog died. [VERB]
Sadly, both he and my mother died of cancer. [V + of/from]
I would die a very happy person if I could stay in music my whole life. [VERB noun]
...friends who died young. [VERB adjective]
dead
2. verb [only cont]
If a person, animal, or plant is dying, they are so ill or so badly injured that they will not live very much longer.
The elm trees are all dying. [VERB]
Every working day I treat people who are dying from lung diseases caused by smoking. [V + of/from]
3. verb [no passive]
If someone dies a violent, unnatural, or painful death, they die in a violent, unnatural, or painful way.
He watched helplessly as his mother died an agonizing death. [VERB noun]
I'm no expert, but I don't think Tracy died a natural death. [VERB noun]
4. verb
If a machine or device dies, it stops completely, especially after a period of working more and more slowly or inefficiently.
[written]
Then suddenly, the engine coughed, spluttered and died. [VERB]
Synonyms: stop, fail, halt, break down More Synonyms of die
5. verb
If a fire or light dies, it stops burning or shining.
[literary]
Her cigarette glowed brightly, then died. [VERB]
6. verb
If an emotion or facial expression dies, it disappears completely, usually after a period of gradually becoming weaker and less noticeable.
[literary]
My love for you will never die. [VERB]
Kathryn looked down at the floor and the smile died on her lips. [VERB]
Synonyms: dwindle, end, decline, pass More Synonyms of die
7. verb [only cont]
You can say that you are dying of thirst, hunger, boredom, or curiosity to emphasize that you are very thirsty, hungry, bored, or curious.
[informal, emphasis]
Order me a pot of tea, I'm dying of thirst. [VERB + of]
8. verb [only cont]
You can say that you are dying for something or are dyingto do something to emphasize that you very much want to have it or do it.
[informal, emphasis]
I'm dying for a breath of fresh air. [VERB + for]
She was dying to talk to Frank. [VERB to-infinitive]
9. verb
You can use die in expressions such as 'I almost died' or 'I'd die if anything happened' where you are emphasizing your feelings about a situation, for example to say thatit is very shocking, upsetting, embarrassing, or amusing.
[informal, mainly spoken, emphasis]
I nearly died when I learned where I was ending up. [VERB]
I nearly died of shame. [VERB + of]
I thought I'd die laughing. [VERB verb-ing]
10. countable noun
A die is a specially shaped or patterned block of metal which is used to press or cut other metal into a particular shape.
11. See also dying
12.
See the die is cast
13.
See die hard
Phrasal verbs:
See die away
See die back
See die down
See die out
More Synonyms of die
die in British English1
(daɪ)
verbWord forms: dies, dying or died(mainly intr)
1.
(of an organism or its cells, organs, etc) to cease all biological activity permanently
she died of pneumonia
2.
(of something inanimate) to cease to exist; come to an end
the memory of her will never die
3. (often foll byaway, down, or out)
to lose strength, power, or energy, esp by degrees
4. (often foll byaway or down)
to become calm or quiet; subside
the noise slowly died down
5.
to stop functioning
the engine died
6.
to languish or pine, as with love, longing, etc
7. (usually foll by of) informal
to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)
8. theology
to lack spiritual life within the soul, thus separating it from God and leading to eternal punishment
9. (transitive)
to undergo or suffer (a death of a specified kind) (esp in phrases such as die a saintly death)
10. (foll by to)
to become indifferent or apathetic (to)
to die to the world
11. never say die
12. die hard
13. die in harness
14. be dying
15. to die for
▶ USAGE 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
Word origin
Old English dīegan, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse deyja, Old High German touwen
die in British English2
(daɪ)
noun
1.
a.
a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device
b.
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
2.
an internally-threaded tool for cutting external threads
Compare tap2 (sense 6)
3.
a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object cast
See also die-cast
4. architecture
the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic
5. another name for dice (sense 2)
6. as straight as a die
7. the die is cast
Word origin
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
die in American English1
(daɪ)
verb intransitiveWord forms: died or ˈdying
1.
to stop living; become dead
2.
to suffer the agony of death or an agony regarded as like it
3.
a.
to cease existing; end
b.
to stop functioning
4.
to lose force or activity; become weak, faint, unimportant, etc.
5.
to fade or wither away
6.
to become alien or indifferent (to), as if dead
7.
to pine away, as with desire
8. Informal
to wish with extreme intensity; yearn
she's dying to learn the secret
9. Theology
to suffer spiritual death
Idioms:
die away
die back
die hard
die off
die out
SYNONYMY NOTE: die1 is the basic, simple, direct word meaning to stop living or to become dead; , decease, expire, and pass away (see pass2, vi. 7) are all euphemisms, decease being also the legal term, , expire meaning literally to breathe one's last breath, and pass away suggesting a coming to an end; perish implies death by a violent means or under difficult circumstances
Word origin
ME dien < ON deyja < IE base *dheu-, to pass away, become senseless > OS doian, to die, OE dead, OHG tot, dead
die in American English2
(daɪ)
nounWord forms: pluraldice (daɪs) or dies (daɪz)
1.
a small, marked cube used in games of chance
see also dice
2.
any small cube resembling this
3. Architecture
a dado of a pedestal
4. Mechanics
any of various tools or devices, originally cubical in form, for molding, stamping, cutting, or shaping; specif.,
a.
a piece of engraved metal used for stamping money, medals, etc.
b.
the stationary part of a machine for shaping or punching holes in sheet metal, etc.; matrix
see also punch1
c.
the punch and matrix as a unit
d.
a tool used for cutting threads, as of screws or bolts
e.
a piece of metal with a hole through it, used in drawing wire, extruding rods, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: died or ˈdieing
5.
to mold, stamp, cut, or shape with a die
Idioms:
the die is cast
Word origin
ME de (pl. dis) < OFr de < VL *datum, orig. neut of L datus: see UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
die in Mechanical Engineering
(daɪ)
Word forms: (regular plural) dies
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Manufacturing and assembly)
A die is a shaped hollow piece into which or through which you force a material in order to produce an objectof a particular shape.
A metal rod is forced through a die in order to make the correct shape for the frame.
The metal is placed in a die resembling a mold.
A die is a shaped hollow piece into which or through which you force a material in orderto produce an object of a particular shape.
die casting
More idioms containing
die
old habits die hard
to die for
the die is cast
die with your boots on
straight as a die
Examples of 'die' in a sentence
die
Tarja remembered wanting to slap some sense into her one moment, wanting to die in her arms the next.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
We sat with our breath quivering like sick men waiting to die.
Robert Wilson INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2001)
For every virus we've heard of, there are untold millions that die away, disappear.
Gregg Andrew Hurwitz MINUTES TO BURN (2001)
Quotations
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your kneesDolores Ibárruri (La Pasionaria)
Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but onceWilliam ShakespeareJulius Caesar
Only we die in earnest, that's no jestWalter RaleighOn the Life of Man
Die, my dear doctor? That's the last thing I shall do!Lord Palmerston
It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happensWoody AllenDeath
To die will be an awfully big adventureJ.M. BarriePeter Pan
Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with itSomerset Maugham
We shall die aloneBlaise PascalPensées
Whom the gods love dies youngMenanderDis Exapaton
A man dies still if he has done nothing, as one who has done muchHomerIliad
Word lists with
die
architectural features
In other languages
die
British English: die /daɪ/ VERB
When people, animals, or plants die, they stop living.
My cat died last week.
American English: die
Arabic: يـَمُوتُ
Brazilian Portuguese: morrer
Chinese: 死亡
Croatian: umrijeti
Czech: zemřít
Danish: dø
Dutch: sterven
European Spanish: morir
Finnish: kuolla
French: mourir
German: sterben
Greek: πεθαίνω
Italian: morire
Japanese: 死ぬ
Korean: 죽다
Norwegian: dø
Polish: umrzeć
European Portuguese: morrer
Romanian: a muri
Russian: умирать
Latin American Spanish: morir
Swedish: dö
Thai: ตาย
Turkish: ölmek
Ukrainian: умирати
Vietnamese: chết
All related terms of 'die'
dice
A dice is a small cube which has between one and six spots or numbers on its sides, and which is used in games to provide random numbers. In old-fashioned English , 'dice' was used only as a plural form, and the singular was → die , but now 'dice' is used as both the singular and the plural form.
die-off
the process or occurrence of large numbers of deaths in a population of animals, plants, etc
die out
If something dies out , it becomes less and less common and eventually disappears completely.
bobsy-die
fuss ; confusion ; pandemonium (esp in the phrases kick up bobsy-die, play bobsy-die )
die away
If a sound dies away , it gradually becomes weaker or fainter and finally disappears completely.
die back
If a plant dies back , its leaves die but its roots remain alive .
die-cast
to shape or form (a metal or plastic object) by introducing molten metal or plastic into a reusable mould , esp under pressure , by gravity , or by centrifugal force
die down
If something dies down , it becomes very much quieter or less intense .
die game
to die bravely and still fighting
die hard
If you say that habits or attitudes die hard , you mean that they take a very long time to disappear or change, so that it may not be possible to get rid of them completely.
die-stamp
to produce words or decoration on (a surface) by using a steel die so that the printed images stand in relief
die Stem
the South African national anthem until 1991, when part of it was incorporated into the current anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
sine die
without a day fixed
die Brücke
a group of German Expressionist painters (1905–13), including Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner . In 1912 they exhibited with der Blaue Reiter
die casting
the process of making a casting by forcing molten metal into a metallic mold , or die , under great pressure
die-cutting
the cutting by machine of paper or card into shapes with sharp steel knives , such as in the manufacture of cardboard boxes
die-sinker
a person who engraves dies for stamping coins, medals , etc
Die Walküre
an opera by Wagner (1870), one of four in a cycle based on the German myth of the Ring of the Nibelung
do or die
to make a final or supreme effort
die stamping
the production of words or decoration on a surface by using a steel die so that the printed images stand in relief
to die for
very good or attractive
die-hard fan
If you are a fan of someone or something, especially a famous person or a sport, you like them very much and are very interested in them.
die in harness
to die while still working or active, prior to retirement
never say die
never give up
open-die forging
Open-die forging is a forging process in which the flow of metal is not kept completely in the die .
the die is cast
You can say that the die is cast to draw attention to the importance of an event or decision which is going to affect your future and which cannot be changed or avoided .
diehard
A diehard is someone who is very strongly opposed to change and new ideas , or who is a very strong supporter of a person or idea.
kick up bobsy-die
fuss ; confusion ; pandemonium (esp in the phrases kick up bobsy-die , play bobsy-die )
straight as a die
completely honest
old habits die hard
said to mean that people are often reluctant to change their way of doing something, especially something which they have been doing for a long time
as straight as a die
perfectly honest
die with one's boots on
to die while still active
die with your boots on
to die while you are still actively involved in your work
dieback
a disease of trees and shrubs characterized by death of the young shoots , which spreads to the larger branches: caused by injury to the roots or attack by bacteria or fungi
wither on the vine
to die or gradually come to an end
cross my heart!
You can say ' cross my heart ' when you want someone to believe that you are telling the truth . You can also ask ' cross your heart? ', when you are asking someone if they are really telling the truth.
Chinese translation of 'die'
die
(daɪ)
vi
[person, animal, plant]死 (sǐ)
[love, hope]消失 (xiāoshī)
[engine]熄灭(滅) (xīmiè)
n(c)
Word forms:pldice
(for games) 骰子 (tóuzi) (颗, kē)
to die of or from sth死于(於)某事 (sǐ yú mǒushì)
to die a natural/violent death自然死亡/惨(慘)死 (zìrán sǐwáng/cǎnsǐ)
to be dying[person, plant, animal]奄奄一息 (yǎnyǎn yī xī)
old habits die hard积(積)习(習)难(難)改 (jīxí nán gǎi)
I'm dying of thirst/boredom我渴死了/无(無)聊死了 (wǒ kěsǐ le/wúliáo sǐ le)
to be dying for sth/to do sth渴望某事/做某事 (kěwàng mǒushì/zuò mǒushì)
在需要解释某人的死亡原因时，可以说他们 die of 或 die from 某个具体原因。 Both he and my mother died of cancer ... He died from brain injuries five days later. 还可以用 be dying of thirst, hunger, boredom 或者 curiosity 来强调非常口渴、饥饿、厌倦或好奇的状态。这是非正式用法。 Order a pot of tea, I'm dying of thirst.
All related terms of 'die'
dish
( piece of crockery : for serving ) 盘(盤) pán [ 个(個) gè ] (: for eating ) 碟 dié [ 个(個) gè ]
plate
[ c ] ( dish ) 碟 dié [ 个(個) gè ] ( for serving ) 托(託)盘(盤) tuōpán [ 个(個) gè ]
tumble
跌倒 diēdǎo
die out
( custom, way of life ) 灭(滅)亡 mièwáng
die away
( sound, light ) 逐渐(漸)消失 zhújiàn xiāoshī
die down
( wind ) 停止 tíngzhǐ
to die in vain
白白死去 báibái sǐqù
old habits die hard
积(積)习(習)难(難)改 jīxí nán gǎi
to die in infancy
夭折 yāozhé
roll
( of paper, cloth, film etc ) 一卷 yī juǎn
to die of natural causes
自然死亡 zìrán sǐwáng
to die of or from sth
死于(於)某事 sǐ yú mǒushì
to die from or of exposure
( Med ) 死于(於)冻(凍)馁(餒) sǐ yú dòngněi
to die a natural/violent death
自然死亡/惨(慘)死 zìrán sǐwáng/cǎnsǐ
to die of or from starvation
饿(餓)死 èsǐ
(to die) a horrible/lonely death
恐怖地/孤独(獨)地死去 kǒngbù de/gūdú de sǐqù
1 (verb)
Definition
(of a person, animal, or plant) to cease all biological activity permanently
His grandfather died last year.
Synonyms
pass away
depart
expire
He expired in excruciating agony.
perish
the ferry disaster in which 193 passengers perished
buy it (US, slang, rare)
check out (US, slang)
kick it (slang)
croak (slang)
Having nearly croaked twice, I'm grateful to be alive.
give up the ghost
go belly-up (slang)
snuff it (slang)
peg out (informal, rare)
kick the bucket (slang)
I don't plan on kicking the bucket for another thirty years.
buy the farm (US, slang)
peg it (informal, rare)
decease
cark it (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
pop your clogs (informal)
breathe your last
hop the twig (slang, rare)
Opposites
live,
exist
,
survive
,
be born
,
come to life
2 (verb)
Definition
to stop working
The engine coughed, spluttered, and died.
Synonyms
stop
fail
The lights mysteriously failed.
halt
They halted at a short distance from the house.
break down
Their car broke down.
run down
stop working
peter out
The strike seemed to be petering out.
fizzle out
lose power
seize up
conk out (informal)
go kaput (informal)
go phut
fade out or away
3 (verb)
Definition
to lose strength, power, or energy by degrees
My love for you will never die.
Synonyms
dwindle
The factory's workforce has dwindled.
end
decline
a declining birth rate
pass
This crisis will pass eventually.
Her feelings lightened as the storm passed.
disappear
The immediate threat has disappeared.
sink
Our hopes were sinking fast.
fade
After that all her worries faded away.
weaken
The storm was finally beginning to weaken.
Family structures are weakening and breaking up.
diminish
The threat of war has diminished.
vanish
Dinosaurs vanished from the earth millions of years ago.
decrease
Population growth is decreasing each year.
decay
The work ethic in this country has decayed over the past 30 years.
lapse
wither
His dream of being a famous footballer withered and died.
wilt
Their resolution wilted in the face of such powerful opposition.
lessen
The burden will lessen if you ask someone for help.
wane
His interest in art to wane.
subside
The pain had subsided during the night.
ebb
There were occasions when my enthusiasm ebbed.
die down
The controversy is unlikely to die down.
die out
abate
The storms soon abated.
peter out
die away
The sound died away.
grow less
Opposites
increase,
grow
,
flourish
idioms
See be dying for something
See be dying of something
Phrasal verbs
See die away
See die down
See die out
Quotations
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees [Dolores Ibárruri (La Pasionaria)]Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once [William Shakespeare – Julius Caesar]Only we die in earnest, that's no jest [Walter Raleigh – On the Life of Man]Die, my dear doctor? That's the last thing I shall do! [Lord Palmerston]It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens [Woody Allen – Death]To die will be an awfully big adventure [J.M. Barrie – Peter Pan]Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it [Somerset Maugham]We shall die alone [Blaise Pascal – Pensées]Whom the gods love dies young [Menander – Dis Exapaton]A man dies still if he has done nothing, as one who has done much [Homer – Iliad]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abate
Definition
to make or become less strong
The storms soon abated.
Synonyms
decrease,
decline,
relax,
ease,
sink,
fade,
weaken,
diminish,
dwindle,
lessen,
slow,
wane,
subside,
ebb,
let up,
slacken,
attenuate,
taper off
in the sense of break down
Definition
to cease to function
Their car broke down.
Synonyms
stop working,
stop,
give out,
pack up (British, informal),
have had it,
seize up,
cease to function,
conk out (informal),
go on the blink,
go kaput (informal),
go phut,
die,
cark it (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of croak
Definition
to die
Having nearly croaked twice, I'm grateful to be alive.