die

[[t]da͟ɪ[/t]]

♦

dies, dying, died

1) VERB: no passive When people, animals, and plants die, they stop living.

A year later my dog died...

[V of/from n] Sadly, both he and my mother died of cancer...

[V n] I would die a very happy person if I could stay in music my whole life...

[V adj] Reynolds says he is haunted by the ghosts of friends who died young.

2) VERB: only cont If a person, animal, or plant is dying, they are so ill or so badly injured that they will not live very much longer.

The elm trees are all dying...

[V of/from n] Every working day I treat people who are dying from lung diseases caused by smoking.

Ant:

recover

3) VERB: no passive If someone dies a violent, unnatural, or painful death, they die in a violent, unnatural, or painful way.

[V n] Watching helplessly as his mother died an agonizing death permanently altered Billy...

[V n] I'm no expert, but I don't think Tracy died a natural death.

4) VERB If a machine or device dies, it stops completely, especially after a period of working more and more slowly or inefficiently. [WRITTEN]

Then suddenly, the engine coughed, spluttered and died.

Syn:

break down

5) VERB If a fire or light dies, it stops burning or shining. [LITERARY]

Her cigarette glowed brightly, then died.

6) VERB If an emotion or facial expression dies, it disappears completely, usually after a period of gradually becoming weaker and less noticeable. [LITERARY]

My love for you will never die...

Kathryn looked down at the floor and the smile died on her lips.

7) VERB: only cont (emphasis) You can say that you are dying of thirst, hunger, boredom, or curiosity to emphasize that you are very thirsty, hungry, bored, or curious. [INFORMAL]

[V of n] Order me a pot of tea, I'm dying of thirst.

8) VERB: only cont (emphasis) You can say that you are dying for something or are dying to do something to emphasize that you very much want to have it or do it. [INFORMAL]

[V for n] I'm dying for a breath of fresh air...

[V to-inf] She was dying to talk to Frank.

9) VERB (emphasis) You can use die in expressions such as `I almost died' or `I'd die if anything happened' where you are emphasizing your feelings about a situation, for example to say that it is very shocking, upsetting, embarrassing, or amusing. [INFORMAL, mainly SPOKEN]

I nearly died when I learned where I was ending up...

[V of n] I nearly died of shame...

[V -ing] I thought I'd die laughing.

10) N-COUNT A die is a specially shaped or patterned block of metal which is used to press or cut other metal into a particular shape.

11) → See also dying

12) PHRASE: V inflects You can say that the die is cast to draw attention to the importance of an event or decision which is going to affect your future and which cannot be changed or avoided.

It was too late and too urgent to turn back. The die was cast.

13) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that habits or attitudes die hard, you mean that they take a very long time to disappear or change, so that it may not be possible to get rid of them completely.

Old habits die hard...

Such prejudices die hard.

Phrasal Verbs:

- die away

- die back

- die down

- die out