die

To stop being alive.

• Our old dog died yesterday.
• Many people died in the earthquake.
• She died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family.

How to use it: die of/from something (Her grandfather died of cancer.); die in something (Two passengers died in the crash.)

Similar words: pass away, perish

Opposites: live

Common phrases: die of something, die in something, die peacefully

Someone stops living because of an illness or another cause.

• He died of a serious illness.
• Many people died of hunger that winter.
• Can a person die of loneliness?

How to use it: die of something (Her grandfather died of pneumonia.)

Similar words: pass away, perish

Opposites: live

Common phrases: die of cancer, die of hunger, die from injuries, die from poisoning

A machine or device suddenly stops working.

• My phone died during the call.
• The engine dies whenever we stop.
• Our old computer finally died yesterday.

Similar words: break down, fail

Common phrases: engine die, battery die, die suddenly

Something stops existing or being active.

• Their hopes died when funding stopped.
• The custom died out long ago.
• Public interest in the project is dying.

How to use it: die out (The old tradition slowly died out.); die with someone/something (Their hopes died with the project.)

Similar words: disappear, fade away, end

Common phrases: die away, die out

You want something very much.

• I'm dying for a cup of tea.
• He's dying to meet your sister.
• Are you dying to hear the news?

How to use it: be dying for something (I'm dying for a cold drink.); be dying to do something (She's dying to see the new film.)

Similar words: long, yearn

Common phrases: die for something, die to know

A small object with numbers on its sides, thrown to decide moves in a game.

• Roll the die to start.
• The die landed on six.
• We need two dice for this game.

Common phrases: roll a die, six-sided die, throw a die

A hard tool that cuts or presses material into a particular shape.

• The die shapes the hot metal.
• Workers replaced the damaged die.
• These dies produce identical plastic parts.

Similar words: mold

Common phrases: steel die, cutting die, die casting

Each day, in shortened medical instructions.

• The prescription reads “50 mg die.”
• The doctor wrote “one tablet die.”
• In these notes, “die” means each day.

Similar words: daily

Common phrases: mg die, tablet die