die

¹

[ dahy ]

verb (used without object)

, died, dy·ing.

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

   Synonyms: depart, expire

2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist:

   The laughter died on his lips.

3. to lose force, strength, or active qualities:

   Superstitions die slowly.

4. to cease to function; stop:

   The motor died.

5. to be no longer subject; become indifferent:

   to die to worldly matters.

6. to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually followed by away, out, or down ):

   The storm slowly died down.

7. Theology. to lose spiritual life.
8. to faint or languish.
9. to suffer as if fatally:

   I'm dying of boredom!

10. to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.:

    I'm dying to see my home again.

11. to desire or want keenly or greatly:

    I'm dying for a cup of coffee.

verb phrase

1. to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced:

   Her friends are dying off.

2. 1. to cease to exist; become extinct:

      Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.

   2. to die away; fade; subside:

      The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.

3. to become calm or quiet; subside.
4. (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease:

   The hoofbeats gradually died away.

die

²

[ dahy ]

noun

, plural dies dice

1. Machinery.
   1. any of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or a stamping or forging machine.
   2. 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.
   3. one of the separate pieces of such a device.
   4. a steel block or plate with small conical holes through which wire, plastic rods, etc., are drawn.
2. an engraved stamp for impressing a design upon some softer material, as in coining money.
3. singular of dice.
4. Architecture. dado ( def 1 ).

verb (used with object)

, died, die·ing.

1. to impress, shape, or cut with a die.

die

¹

/ daɪ /

noun

1. 1. a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device
   2. 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 tap 2
3. a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object cast See also die-cast
4. architect the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic
5. another name for dice
6. as straight as a die
   perfectly honest
7. the die is cast
   the decision that commits a person irrevocably to an action has been taken

die

²

/ daɪ /

verb

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. informal.
   usually foll by of to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)
8. theol to lack spiritual life within the soul, thus separating it from God and leading to eternal punishment
9. tr 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 informal.
    never give up
12. die hard
    to cease to exist after resistance or a struggle

    old habits die hard

13. die in harness
    to die while still working or active, prior to retirement
14. be dying
    foll byfor or an infinitive to be eager or desperate (for something or to do something)

    I'm dying to see the new house

15. to die for informal.
    highly desirable

    a salary 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 History and Origins

Origin of die¹

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

Origin of die²

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of die¹

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

Origin of die²

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. die hard,
   1. to die only after a bitter struggle.
   2. to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty:

      Childhood beliefs die hard.

2. die standing up, Theater. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.
3. never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.
4. the die is cast, the irrevocable decision has been made; fate has taken charge:

   The die is cast—I can't turn back.

5. to die for, stunning; remarkable:

   That dress is to die for.

More idioms and phrases containing die

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Above ground, things live and die and disappear.

From Los Angeles Times

Overdose deaths take a while to be measured, but the agency’s predictive model suggests that once these numbers are finalized across states, the number of people to die from an overdose across this 12-month period will be approximately 96,000.

From Salon

The fight was postponed in the summer when Tyson suffered a stomach ulcer; the Brooklyn fighter feared he might die.

From BBC

"My son's 18. It's been really hard for him, he's faced with knowing that his mother is ultimately going to die soon."

From BBC

The Legislature, the majority reasoned, had the power to make any policy decision it liked and had simply chosen, in its generosity, to allow women to ask for help if they would die otherwise.

From Slate

Related Words

• deteriorate
• disappear
• end
• expire
• fail
• fall
• pass
• stop
• vanish