die

1 of 2

verb

died; dying ˈdī-iŋ How to pronounce die (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to pass from physical life : expire
died at the age of 56
die young
died from his injuries
a dying tree
2
a
: to pass out of existence : cease
their anger died at these words
b
: to disappear or subside gradually
often used with away, down, or out
the storm died down
3
a
: sink, languish
dying from fatigue
b
: to long keenly or desperately
dying to go
c
: to be overwhelmed by emotion
die of embarrassment
4
a
: to cease functioning : stop
the motor died
b
: to end in failure
the bill died in committee
5
: to become indifferent
die to worldly things

die

2 of 2

noun

plural dice ˈdīs How to pronounce die (audio) or dies ˈdīz How to pronounce die (audio)
1
plural dice : a small cube marked on each face with from one to six spots and used usually in pairs in various games and in gambling by being shaken and thrown to come to rest at random on a flat surface
often used figuratively in expressions concerning chance or the irrevocability of a course of action
the die was cast
2
plural dies, architecture : dado sense 1a
3
plural dies : any of various tools or devices for imparting a desired shape, form, or finish to a material or for impressing an object or material: such as
a(1)
: the larger of a pair of cutting or shaping tools that when moved toward each other produce a desired form in or impress a desired device on an object by pressure or by a blow
(2)
: a device composed of a pair of such tools
b
: a hollow internally threaded screw-cutting tool used for forming screw threads
c
: a mold into which molten metal or other material is forced
d
: a perforated block through which metal or plastic is drawn or extruded for shaping
Phrases
die hard
1
: to be long in dying
such rumors die hard
2
: to continue resistance against hopeless odds
that kind of determination dies hard
die on the vine
: to fail especially at an early stage through lack of support or enthusiasm
let the proposal die on the vine
to die for
: extremely desirable or appealing
the dessert was to die for

Examples of die in a Sentence

Verb She claims she's not afraid to die. He died in 1892 at the age of 37. People in the town began dying suddenly. He died a violent and painful death. Her secret died with her. He's the last of a dying breed. Noun Each player throws one die. he rolled the die, hoping for a six
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The candidates are running to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who died last year. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 When the couple died at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010, their daughter and son-in-law John and Julie Enneking took over operations. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 After Annie by Anna Quindlen (Random House: $30) When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, children and closest friend are left to find a way forward. The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Now, Buffett, who died in September, may have the roadway named after him. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Lemons is one of four people who have died at Waupun, one of the state's five maximum-security prisons, in the last eight months. Vanessa Swales, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Zeb Smith, 40, chief of the Fritch Fire Department, was the first on the scene of a structure fire at a home unrelated to the wildfires on Tuesday morning and later died in the hospital, the City of Borger/Hutchinson County Office of Emergency Management said in a Facebook post. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Police said a preliminary investigation suggested the boy died after his father lost him in a brook while fleeing the scene of a motor vehicle crash on foot. CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 Perspective Carolyn Hax: At 22, one partner since age 16 and a difficult itch to discus... Dear Amy: My dad died many years ago and his estate was handled solely by his widow. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Backside power moves the power-delivery interconnects to beneath the silicon, essentially turning the die into an active transistor layer which is sandwiched between two interconnect stacks, each stack having a different functionality. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2024 The die is close to being cast in the European battle over accounting standards–in favor of the ISSB’s softer financial philosophy. Camille Fumard, Fortune Europe, 22 Feb. 2024 Read Next National 2-week-old dies after mom falls asleep while breastfeeding, cops say. Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 21 Feb. 2024 Thus, more women who take hormonal contraceptives as prescribed die each year as a side effect of use than people who take acetaminophen as recommended die as a side effect of use. Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 28 Jan. 2024 Antique and collectible toys, tractors, trains, dolls, pressed steel, die cast, cast iron pedal cars, tin toys, games, models, and more will again be for sale at the Carroll Agriculture Center in Westminster Saturday, during the Central Maryland Farm Toy Show. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2024 When the pool keeps growing over many consecutive weeks, surely there’s a point at which the overwhelming prize dwarfs the miniscule chance of winning, much like the $100 die reward compensated for the mere one-in-six chance of guessing it. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Nov. 2023 The woman Mizu saw die wasn’t her mother, but instead a maid paid to keep Mizu hidden. Valerie Wu, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023 As a supposed courtesy, Buffett invited Gates to pick his die first. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'die.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English dien, from or akin to Old Norse deyja to die; akin to Old High German touwen to die

Noun

Middle English dee, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of die was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near die

Cite this Entry

“Die.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/die. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

die

1 of 2 verb
died; dying ˈdī-iŋ How to pronounce die (audio)
1
: to stop living : expire
died of old age
2
a
: to pass out of existence : come to an end
their anger was dying down
b
: to disappear or lessen gradually
the wind died down
3
a
: to wish eagerly or desperately
dying to go
b
: to be completely overcome with emotion
almost died of embarrassment
4
: to stop functioning
the motor sputtered and died

die

2 of 2 noun
1
plural dice ˈdīs How to pronounce die (audio) : a small cube marked on each side with one to six spots and used usually in pairs in various games
often used figuratively in expressions concerning chance or the absence of possible change in a course of action
the die was cast
2
plural dies ˈdīz How to pronounce die (audio) : any of various devices used for cutting, shaping, or stamping a material or object
Etymology

Verb

Middle English dien "to die," of Norse origin

Noun

Middle English dee "small cube marked with spots and thrown in gambling, dice," from early French (same meaning)

Medical Definition

die

1 of 2 intransitive verb
died; dying ˈdī-iŋ How to pronounce die (audio)
1
: to suffer total and irreversible loss of the bodily attributes and functions that constitute life
2
: to suffer or face the pains of death

die

2 of 2 noun
plural dies ˈdīz How to pronounce die (audio)
: any of various tools or devices for imparting a desired shape, form, or finish to a material or for impressing an object or material

More from Merriam-Webster on die

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