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

Actor Paul Teal, an actor who appeared in “One Tree Hill,” “Dynasty” and “Descendants: The Rise of Red,” died Friday after a seven-month cancer battle.

From Los Angeles Times

“I felt like I was legitimately dying,” Rife told The Times in an August interview.

From Los Angeles Times

Argentine officials determined that the singer died from multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by the fall.

From Los Angeles Times

Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15, will be the first millennial - a person born in the early 1980s to late 1990s - to be canonised by the Catholic church.

From BBC

Defence lawyers said she suffered a mental breakdown and wanted to die with her children but left the car at the last minute.

From BBC

Related Words

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

More About Die

What is a basic definition of die?

Die is a verb that means to stop living, to stop existing, or to stop functioning. Die has several other senses as a verb and a noun.

When somebody dies, they are no longer alive. They have become dead. All living things will eventually die. Someone can die from disease, violence, or anything else that causes their vital organs (heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs) to stop working.

• Real-life examples: Everyone who is dead has died. Plants die when they don’t get enough sunlight and water. Animals die from many of the same things as humans. Antibiotics are designed to cause disease-causing bacteria to die.
• Used in a sentence: I forgot to water my sunflower, so it died. 

For nonliving things, the word die means to stop existing. If your hope dies, for example, you don’t have hope anymore. It’s gone.

• Used in a sentence: My dreams of being a rock star will never die. 

For machinery or electronics, to die means to stop working or functioning. Often, this sense is used to refer to batteries or an engine dying, that is losing their power. It can also be used to describe something that is broken beyond repair.

• Used in a sentence: I managed to upload all of my files before my laptop died. 

Die is also used in several different idioms that have nothing to do with death. For example, the idiom to die for means to want something a lot. To die laughing means to be very amused.

Where does die come from?

The first records of the term die come from around 1150. It ultimately comes from the Old Norse verb deyja.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for die?

• pass away
• expire
• perish

What are some words that share a root or word element with die? 

• die down
• die for
• die out
• die laughing
• do-or-die

What are some words that often get used in discussing die?

• life
• kill
• funeral
• graveyard
• corpse
• murder
• accident

What are some words die may be commonly confused with?

• dye

How is die used in real life?

Die is, sadly, a common word that means to stop being alive.

Better to die fighting for freedom, than be a prisoner all the days of your life.

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) January 15, 2021

Nearly 400,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus and the pandemic continues to soar. We need to aggressively increase vaccine production and get doses into the arms of everyone as soon as possible. Tens of thousands of lives are at stake.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 16, 2021

I don't know what's more depressing: The fact my cat died or that I went shopping to feel better and all I bought myself was a new bath mat.

— Stephanie McMaster (@Smethanie) June 23, 2012

Try using die!

Which of the following is not able to die?

A. fish
B. a chair
C. an oak tree
D. bacteria