dying

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈdaɪɪŋ/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈdaɪɪŋ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(dī′ing)

From the verb die: (⇒ conjugate)
dying is: ⓘClick the infinitive to see all available inflections
v pres p (All other usages)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
dy•ing /ˈdaɪɪŋ/USA pronunciation   adj. [before a noun]
  1. about to die:a dying patient.
  2. of or associated with death:his dying hour.
  3. given, uttered, or appearing just before death:her dying words.
  4. drawing to a close:the dying year.

n. 
  1. the act or process of ceasing to live, exist, or function:[uncountable]a book on how to face dying with dignity.
  2. the dying, [plural* used with a plural verb] people who are approaching death:How can we help the dying gain better control of their last weeks?

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
dy•ing  (dī′ing),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. ceasing to live;
    approaching death;
    expiring:a dying man.
  2. of, pertaining 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.

n. 
  1. the act or process of ceasing to live, ending, or drawing to a close.
  • Middle English. See die1, -ing2, -ing1 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
dying /ˈdaɪɪŋ/ vb
  1. the present participle of die1
 adj
  1. relating to or occurring at the moment of death: a dying wish
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
die1 /daɪ/USA pronunciation  v. [no obj], died, dy•ing. 
  1. to cease to live;
    perish:How many people died in the war?[~ + of + object]He died of thirst or starvation.[~ + from + object]He died from a gunshot wound.
  2. to lose force, strength, or vital qualities:[often: be + ~-ing]I think he's dying; you'd better come to the hospital now.
  3. to cease to exist;
    vanish:The happy look died on her face.
  4. to cease to function;
    lose power;
    fade gradually:The engine died.
  5. to suffer as if fatally:[often: be + ~-ing;
    ~ + of + object]    I'm dying of boredom!
  6. to desire strongly or wish for keenly: [~ + for + object][often: be + ~-ing]I'm dying for a cup of coffee.[~ + to + verb]I'm dying to go back to the mountains.
  7. die away, (of a sound) to become fainter and then cease altogether:The laughter died away.
  8. die down, to become calm or quiet;
    subside:The storm died down quickly.
  9. die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced:Those languages are in danger of dying off and no one is there to record them.
  10. die out:
    • to cease to exist;
      become extinct:Little mom-and-pop corner stores are in danger of dying out.
    • to die away;
      fade;
      subside:Gradually the roar died out and the night became quiet.
Idioms
  1. Idioms die hard, [no obj] to give way after a hard, bitter struggle:Childhood beliefs die hard.


die2 /daɪ/USA pronunciation   n. [countable], pl. dies for 1, dice for 2.
  1. Mechanical Engineeringany of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or a stamping or forging machine.
  2. Gamesthe singular form of dice:One die rolled right off the table.
Idioms
  1. Idioms the die is cast, a decision has been made and cannot be changed:When Caesar led his army across the Rubicon to take over Rome, he said the die was cast.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
die1  (dī),USA pronunciation v.i., died, dy•ing. 
  1. to cease to live;
    undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions;
    become dead.
  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 fol. by away, out, or down):The storm slowly died down.
  7. Religion[Theol.]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.
  12. die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease:The hoofbeats gradually died away.
  13. die down, to become calm or quiet;
    subside.
  14. Idioms die hard:
    • to die only after a bitter struggle.
    • to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty:Childhood beliefs die hard.
  15. die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced:Her friends are dying off.
  16. die out:
    • to cease to exist;
      become extinct:Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.
    • to die away;
      fade;
      subside:The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.
  17. Idioms, Show Business die standing up, [Theat.](of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.
  18. Idioms never say die, never give up hope;
    never abandon one's efforts.
  19. Idioms to die for, stunning;
    remarkable:That dress is to die for.
  • Old Norse deyja. Cf. dead, death
  • Middle English dien, deien 1150–1200
    1. expire, depart. Die, pass away (pass on), 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) is a commonly used euphemism implying a con-tinuation of life after death:Grandfather passed away(passed on). 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.
die2  (dī),USA pronunciation n., pl. dies for 1, 2, 4, dice for 3;
v., died, die•ing. 
n. 
  1. Mechanical Engineering[Mach.]
    • Mechanical Engineeringany of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or a stamping or forging machine.
    • Mechanical Engineeringa hollow device of steel, often composed of several pieces to be fitted into a stock, for cutting the threads of bolts or the like.
    • Mechanical Engineeringone of the separate pieces of such a device.
    • Mechanical Engineeringa steel block or plate with small conical holes through which wire, plastic rods, etc., are drawn.
  2. Mechanical Engineeringan engraved stamp for impressing a design upon some softer material, as in coining money.
  3. Gamessing. of dice. 
  4. Architecturedado (def. 1).
  5. Idioms the die is cast, the irrevocable decision has been made;
    fate has taken charge:The die is cast--I can't turn back.

v.t. 
  1. Mechanical Engineeringto impress, shape, or cut with a die.
  • Latin datum given (neuter past participle of dare to give), perh. in the derivative sense "put, placed,'' hence "played, cast''
  • Old French de(i), presumbly
  • Middle English de (in early modern English taking the vowel of the plural form dice) 1300–50

die1, +v. 
  1. Idioms to die for, stunning;
    remarkable:That dress is to die for.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
die /daɪ/ vb (dies, dying, died) (mainly intr)
  1. (of an organism or its cells, organs, etc) to cease all biological activity permanently
  2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist; come to an end
  3. often followed by away, down, or out: to lose strength, power, or energy, esp by degrees
  4. often followed by away or down: to become calm or quiet; subside
  5. to stop functioning: the engine died
  6. to languish or pine, as with love, longing, etc
  7. (usually followed by of) informal to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)
  8. 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. never say die ⇒ informal never give up
  11. die hard ⇒ to cease to exist after resistance or a struggle: old habits die hard
  12. die in harness ⇒ to die while still working or active, prior to retirement
  13. be dying ⇒
    followed by for or an infinitive: to be eager or desperate (for something or to do something)
Etymology: Old English dīegan, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse deyja, Old High German touwen
die /daɪ/ n
    • a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device
    • 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
  3. a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object cast See also die-cast
  4. the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic
  5. another name for dice
  6. the die is cast ⇒ the decision that commits a person irrevocably to an action has been taken
Etymology: 13th Century 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
'dying' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
anointing of the sick - assisted dying - bandy - Bedivere - bobsy-die - buddy - caddie - caddy - candy - critical - death rattle - deathwatch - die - eddy - ember - giddy - limbo - more - muddy - parody - passive euthanasia - perish - Saunders - semelparous - swan song - Taylor - tidy - untidy - Vavilov - viaticum - waddy - way - brandy - calando - century plant - daddy - death - death chamber - decease - et tu, Brute - even - extinction - fetch - fin - gasp - gone - groan - half-dying - half-life - hotchpot
Collocations: a dying [man, patient, beast], visited her dying [mother, grandfather] (in hospital), [respect, carry out, fulfil] her (last) dying wishes, more...

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Look up "dying" at Merriam-Webster
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