die

DY/daɪ/

Verbdies, dying, died

Noun pluraldies, dice

23 meanings of die

Practice

1
perishverbintransitive
To stop living and become dead.
Like a candle flame that goes out and cannot be lit again.
Many plants die when the weather turns very cold.
Her grandfather died peacefully in his sleep last winter.
UsageWrite dying (not ~~incorrect: dieing~~): the plant is dying.
Similarperish, expire, succumb
Oppositelive, survive
Note
2
verbintransitive
To stop existing or come to an end, as when a language, a hope, or a plan dies.
Like a fire that burns out and leaves only cold ashes.
Many old languages die when no children learn to speak them.
Their family customs died with the last grandparent.
UsageSay a custom or language dies out when it slowly ends.
Similarvanish, disappear, fade, perish
Oppositesurvive, thrive
Note
3
fail (machine)verbintransitive
Of a machine, battery, or program, to stop working, often suddenly.
Like a toy that stops moving when its batteries run out.
My phone died right in the middle of the call.
Old engines sometimes die when they get too cold.
Similarfail, stall, quit
4
numbered cubenouncountable
A small object, usually a cube, with dots or numbers on its sides, thrown in games.
Like a little cube you throw to get a lucky number.
She rolled the die and moved six spaces around the board.
He held his breath as the die came to rest on a four.
UsageMore than one is dice: roll the dice.
Note
5
lose a lifeverbslangintransitive
To lose a life or get knocked out in a video game.
Like losing a turn and having to start that part over.
I keep dying on the same level no matter what I try.
You die instantly if you touch the lava.
UsageUse on for the level: I died on the last level.
Note
6
stamping toolnouncountable
A tool that cuts or presses metal or another material into a particular shape.
Like a cookie cutter that presses out the same shape every time.
The factory uses a steel die to cut shapes from sheet metal.
Each cookie press has a die that gives the dough its pattern.
UsageMore than one of these tools is dies.
Similarmold, stamp

Less common meanings

7
want badlyverbfigurativelyintransitive
To want very much to have or do something.
I'm dying for a cold drink after that long walk.
After a whole week of camping, I would die for a hot shower.
UsageSay I'm dying for a drink or I'm dying to see it.
Similarlong, yearn, itch, ache
Note
8
overwhelmedverbfigurativelyintransitive
To feel something so strongly, like laughter or embarrassment, that you can hardly cope.
Like laughing so hard that you can hardly breathe.
We all died laughing when he tripped over the cat.
I die every time I watch that silly video.
Note
9
get no laughsverbslangintransitive
To get no laughs from an audience while performing comedy.
Like telling a joke at a party and hearing only silence.
New comics often die during their first open-mic night.
He told his best joke and completely died on stage.
UsageA comedian dies on stage when nobody laughs.
Similarbomb, flop, tank
Oppositekill
10
computer chipnouncountable
A small block cut from a silicon wafer that works as a single chip.
Like one square broken off a big chocolate bar.
Each die on the wafer becomes a separate microchip.
Engineers test every die before it is packaged.
UsageMore than one is dies or dice; pick one.
Similarchip
Note
11
thread cutternouncountable
A tool that cuts threads onto the outside of a rod or bolt.
Like a sharpener for a pencil, but it cuts thread lines onto a metal rod instead.
He used a die to cut threads onto the metal rod.
The die left clean threads on the end of the bolt.
12
verbintransitive
To grow weak, faint, or filled with longing.
Like a flower drooping when it has no water.
Every day with no letter from him, she died a little inside.
Waiting for her call, he thought he might die of longing.
Similarlanguish, pine
Note
13
renounceverbintransitive
To stop caring about something, or to be cut off from people, as if you were dead to them.
Like becoming so used to a sound that you stop noticing it.
The monk tried to die to all worldly desires.
She prayed that she might die to sin.
14
nounarchaiccountable
A small cube-shaped object or block.
Some young creatures have learnt their letters and syllables, and the pronouncing and spelling of words, by having them pasted or written upon many little flat tablets or dies.
1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the MindHere, dies means small square blocks or tablets.
Similarcube, block
15
verbintransitive
Of a drink, to go flat and lose its taste or fizz.
16
noun
The plain block in the middle of a pedestal, between its base and its top.
17
adverb
Each day. Doctors write it in short notes that say how much medicine to take.
18
verbarchaic
To stop living because of something, said with "with," as in "died with cold."
And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year was very frequent in the land.
1830, Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon
19
verb
To stop living because of something, said with "to," as in "died to his wounds."
20
verb
Of a decorative edge on a building, to slowly fade into a curved or slanted surface.
21
nounobsolete
Luck, or what happens by chance, as if decided by rolling dice.
22
nounobsolete
An old spelling of dye, something used to color things.
He hath carried his friendship to this man to a blameable length, by too long concealing facts of the blackest die.
1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones
23
verbobsolete
An old spelling of dye, to color something.
To die wool with madder, prepare a fresh liquor, and when the water is come to a heat to bear the hand, put in half a pound of the finest grape madder for each pound of wool;
1813, James Haigh, The Dier's Assistant in the Art of Dying Wool and Woollen Goods

More uses

die downto become gradually weaker or quieter until it almost stops

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of die apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–3, 5, 7–9, 12–13, 15

Probably from an old Norse word meaning "to die," though an old English word may also lie behind it.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Die probably comes from Old Norse. en.wiktionary.org
The Old Norse source word means 'to die'. en.wiktionary.org
An Old English source is also possible. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 4, 6, 10–11, 14

Probably from Latin datum, meaning "given," the past participle of the verb dō ("to give").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Datum means given and is a past-participle form of dō. en.wiktionary.org
Latin dō means to give. en.wiktionary.org