dying 1 of 3

adjective

ˈdī-iŋ How to pronounce dying (audio)
Definition of dyingnext
as in fallen
nearly dead we watered the dying plants just in time

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dying

2 of 3

noun

as in death

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dying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of die
1
as in perishing
to stop living the king died of old age after a long and fruitful reign

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2
as in ending
to come to an end the storm died just as dawn was breaking over the horizon

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3
as in failing
to stop functioning fortunately, when the engine died we were only two blocks from home

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dying
Adjective
What’s the vibe for you, post-dying? — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 22 June 2026 Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase. — Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
The clearer my complexion became, the greater my distance from all the dying in that year. — Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026 As many people who care for a dying loved one know all too well, the grieving process started for Bullock long before Randall died. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026 In contrast, those with all three conditions averaged just 17 years before developing dementia or dying. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Advertisement In the final phase of dying—a period Barbara Karnes, a hospice nurse and educator since the 1970s, calls labor—many people become nonresponsive. — Angela Haupt, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 But does a basil plant covered in black spots mean its dying? — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 26 July 2026 Due to such discomfort – or for other reasons – people often delay making plans for their own dying process. — Jane Callahan, The Conversation, 14 July 2026 Tis hard to see the mighty prancing war horse, trampling the dying and dead beneath their merciless feet. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 However, his second wife, Alicent Hightower (played as a young girl by Emily Carey and as an adult by Olivia Cooke), interprets his incoherent dying words as a change of heart in favor of her son, Aegon II Targaryen (played as a child by Ty Tennant and as an adult by Tom Glynn-Carney). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026
Verb
United’s head coach had a face like thunder post-match, and understandably so after his team allowed two points to slip through their grasp in the dying seconds. — Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Looks like the method acting (stopping his heart medication in order to play a dying man) paid off. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 The hospital – Mount Sinai Medical Center – is still counting the dead from the shocking increase in people now dying from toxins released in the Twin Towers collapse. — Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026 Orwell was exploring the roles that euphemism, tangled syntax, and dying metaphors can play in obscuring the true intentions of a totalitarian state. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026 Sadek, a young Tunisian in Zurich, becomes the lover of a chocolate heir while the world’s cacao is dying. — Ed Meza, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 Working together can save people from getting sick or dying from Salmonella. — Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Scientists in South Africa are investigating why masses of sardines have washed up dead or dying along parts of the country’s west and south coast — and if a herpes virus detected in the fish is responsible. — Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 In March, a man attacked Temple Israel synagogue in a Detroit suburb, ramming his car into the building and opening fire on a security guard before dying by suicide. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dying
  1. fallen
  2. death
  3. perishing
  4. ending
  5. failing
  6. dead
  7. demise
  8. falling
Adjective
  • The fallen autumn leaves can be left in the garden to serve as a carbon-rich winter cover that suppresses weeds just as effectively as wood bark mulch.
    — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There are games on four different days in Week 1, including a Super Bowl rematch, the debut of the new Super Team and a fallen dynasty in search of reclamation.
    — J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of fallen
Noun
  • Emily Motyka and Kyle Sage have pleaded guilty to their roles in Nordquist's death.
    — Madison Scott, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • After the shooting, the internet lit up with macabre stories of death, disfigurement, and disability wrought by claim denials—DJs in clubs even spun dance music with Luigi’s face flashing behind them.
    — Elizabeth Nicholas, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of death
Verb
  • This summer has been a deadly one in Europe, with over 10,000 people perishing in the extreme heat over just a few weeks.
    — Morgan Simon, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Julie Chen Moonves shares her thoughts on that wild Big Brother premiere, including Rachel Reilly perishing in a volcano.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
Definition of perishing
Verb
  • Michael Busch followed with a strikeout on a pitch-clock violation for calling time a second time in the at-bat, then Alex Bregman hit into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Cheap cliffhanger ending aside, the rest of the episode proves an emotionally satisfying kickoff for the final stretch of the season, laying Joe’s only shot at redemption, both mortally and spiritually, at the feet of her team.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of ending
Verb
  • David, a retired executive whose memory is failing, is on a flight to Europe with his assistant, Cody.
    — Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • By his standards, the captain had a slow start to the season, failing to score in the first three league games.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of failing
Adjective
  • It was blamed for two deaths, including a 74-year-old man found Wednesday near Kauai's south shore and a man found dead Monday on Oahu after a large tree fell on his tent.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • To push through the change, the Nashville Airport Authority apparently had to update an actual policy that said someone must be dead for two years before having an airport named after them.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of dead
Noun
  • The Straw Hat Riots lasted eight days and resulted in arrests, injuries, hospitalizations, and the demise of many, many hats.
    — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 4, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Gina Castillo, operations supervisor for the convention center, has mixed feelings about the arena’s demise.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of demise
Verb
  • The key to why scores are falling so widely may be found in an accompanying survey taken by students.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Volatility tends to ease in November, with the VIX falling around 4% as the midterm results remove a key political overhang and provide investors with greater clarity on the policy backdrop, said James Ooi, market strategist at Tiger Brokers.
    — Joanna Ossinger,Justina Lee, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of falling

Browse Nearby Words

dyestuffs
dying
dying (away or down or out)
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Cite this Entry

“Dying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dying. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dying

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dying

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