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

Example Sentences

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Today is Memorial Day, not just a day for sitting at the poolside, but a day to honor the American servicemen and women who died for their country. Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 29 May 2023 Observed as a federal holiday on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2023 Seaman 1st Class William Brooks, who died eight decades earlier during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 28 May 2023 First and foremost, Memorial Day is all about remembering the brave men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2023 But like a great little black dress or white button down, that's precisely the point—great lines that are timelessly flattering and endlessly wearable, long after the latest hot trend has died. Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 28 May 2023 The requirement meant that no Arkansans could be removed from the Medicaid rolls for a change in income or eligibility until the federal public health emergency ended, and cases could be closed only if individuals moved out of state, died, were incarcerated or requested their coverage end. Michael R. Wickline, Arkansas Online, 28 May 2023 Judy dedicated it to her husband, who died in 2018 at age 74. John Kelly, Washington Post, 28 May 2023 The actress died at her home in Los Angeles on May 18, her friend Tamara Lynch confirmed to PEOPLE. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 27 May 2023
Noun
Solimano recently acquired new dies to squeeze out different pasta shapes from his VIP/2 professional extrusion machine, and Sfizio’s pillowy gnocchi will be available for special occasions. Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 May 2023 These teams aim to find the best-case scenario for power, performance and area (PPA), considering the billions of transistors that are all tightly packed into one die. Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Depending on the season, 60,000 to 120,000 older adults are hospitalized in the United States with RSV each year, and 6,000 to 10,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Carolyn Y. Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 4 May 2023 ExploreDallas suburb mourns after 8 die in outlet mall shootingExploreComplete coverage of Midtown Atlanta deadly shooting At the end of April, the numbers exceeded the record set in 2009 when 93 people were killed in 17 incidents in the same time frame. Stefanie Dazio, ajc, 3 May 2023 Pasta extruded through Teflon dies has a smooth, almost satiny surface. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023 The Tigers managed an 8-6 rally in the final quarter, yet the die was already cast. Indy Star Sports, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Feb. 2023 Pellets: Wood pellets are made by processing wood waste down to a uniform sawdust-like consistency and then forcing it through dies at high pressure. Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 21 Apr. 2023 SiC devices now generally have smaller dies than GaN ones. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2023 See More

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 4 Jun. 2023.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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