die

The word “die” means to stop living; to reach the end of life. In plain terms, to stop being alive, or (informally) for a machine to stop working — also a completely unrelated word for a gaming cube or a metal-shaping tool.

“Die” is pronounced dih ([däɪ̯] in IPA).

Here is “die” used in a sentence: “The old oak tree finally died after the drought.”

Words with a similar meaning to “die” include assume room temperature, bite the dust, bite the big one, buy the farm, check out and code.

The opposite of “die” — its antonyms — are breathe, live, subsist, survive and be born.

Depending on how it is used, “die” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “die” comes from Middle English. From Middle English deyen, likely from Old Norse deyja, ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to die." It gradually replaced the older native English words for dying.

“Die” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

To die means to stop living, as when a person or animal reaches the end of life. To dye means to change the colour of something, such as fabric or hair, using a coloured solution. They sound identical but are unrelated, so 'dye your shirt' must never be spelled 'die'.

The past tense is 'died', and the present participle is 'dying'. Note the spelling change: the -ie becomes -y before adding -ing, giving 'dying' rather than 'dieing'. By contrast, colouring fabric gives 'dyeing', which keeps the e to avoid confusion with 'dying'.

English has many softer expressions, known as euphemisms, such as 'passed away', 'passed on', 'lost their life', or 'is no longer with us'. These gentler phrases are often preferred when comforting the bereaved, as the plain word 'died' can feel blunt in sensitive situations.

No. Any living thing can die, including animals, plants, and even cells. Figuratively, the word stretches further still: engines die when they cut out, sounds die away as they fade, and enthusiasm can die down. In every case it signals something coming to an end.