die-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈdī-ˌȯf 

: a sudden sharp decline of a population of animals or plants that is not caused directly by human activity

die off

2 of 2

verb

ˈdī-ˈȯf 

died off; dying off; dies off

intransitive verb

: to die sequentially either singly or in numbers so that the total number is greatly diminished

Examples of die-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This means that, even if there is a large die-off rate, tick populations are still growing rapidly. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 18 July 2026

Researchers found little evidence that disease caused the die-off. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Verb

In two years or so, 90 percent of the wild sheep in what was the greatest bighorn country of North America died off. — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026

According to Bennett, a maximalist feature that’s huge once again—after a period of dying off—is trim in all forms, styles, and colors. — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 20 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1697, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for die-off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

die-off

noun

ˈdī-ˌȯf

: a sudden sharp drop in the numbers of plants or animals in a group