die
gb/dˈaɪ/ us/dˈaɪ/
A2
English
~ 500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
event
1
stop living
To stop being alive.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] dies
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'die' (verb) with 'dead' (adjective) or 'death' (noun). 'He is die' is incorrect; it should be 'He is dead'.
Synonyms
pass away (A more gentle or polite expression, often used in sensitive contexts.)
Antonyms
live (Opposite in meaning: to continue to be alive.)
Collocations
die young
|die suddenly
|die peacefully
|die from disease
|die in an accident
Themes
life
|health
|death
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many soldiers died during the war.
- She died peacefully in her sleep.
- The plant died because it wasn’t watered.
- Thousands died from the disease last year.
- He died at the age of 92.
Learner examples
- My dog died last year.
- The tree died in winter.
- Her grandfather died last month.
- Fish can die without clean water.
Verb
informal
B1
event
2
stop working completely
When a machine stops working.
Usage pattern:
[something] dies
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'die' for non-electronic things; for example, 'My shoes died' sounds odd unless used humorously.
Synonyms
break down (Often used for mechanical failure, not always permanent.)
Antonyms
work (To operate correctly and function as intended.)
Collocations
phone died
|battery died
|engine died
Themes
technology
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My phone died during the call.
- The car died in the middle of the road.
- The engine died after years of use.
Learner examples
- My computer died yesterday.
- The light died after one hour.
- The car died on the way home.
Verb
informal
B2
property
3
feel extreme embarrassment or emotion
To feel very embarrassed or amused (not really dying).
Usage pattern:
[someone] dies [from/of something]
Common mistake:
Learners may misinterpret this as literal death; context shows it's figurative.
Synonyms
collapse (figurative) (Used figuratively to mean losing control from emotion.)
Collocations
die of laughter
|die from embarrassment
Themes
emotions
Examples
- I thought I would die of embarrassment when I fell on stage.
- She nearly died laughing at the joke.
- He was dying inside when she ignored him.
Learner examples
- I will die from shame.
- She will die of laughter.
- He will die of fear.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
4
tool for shaping material
A tool used to make shapes in metal, paper, or other materials.
Synonyms
mold (A hollow form for shaping material, not always metallic like a die.)
Collocations
cutting die
|stamping die
Themes
manufacturing
|engineering
|work
|technology
Examples
- The factory replaced the old die with a new one.
- They used a steel die to stamp the design into the metal.
- The printer adjusted the die for the new font size.
Learner examples
- They use a die to cut the shape.
- The worker changes the die for another job.
- This die makes circles in paper.
Noun
B1
entity
5
cube used in games
A small cube with numbers on each side used in games.
Common mistake:
'Die' as singular is less common; many speakers use 'dice' for both singular and plural.
Synonyms
dice ('Dice' is more common in modern English as both singular and plural, though 'die' is the traditional singular.)
Collocations
roll a die
|throw the die
Themes
games
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Players take turns rolling the die.
- You need one die for this board game.
- She rolled a six on the die.
Learner examples
- I roll the die and move my piece.
- This game uses one die.
- He throws the die on the table.
Grammar
Dictionary form
die
IPA
GB/dˈaɪ/
US/dˈaɪ/
Syllables & stress
die (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (die)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: die
- Plural: dice, dies
Verb
- Base: die
- 3rd Person Singular: dies
- Present Participle: dying
- Past: died
Word family
Expressions
die away
1/dˈaɪ əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
fade away gradually until gone
To become weaker and then disappear (like sound or light).
Examples
- The sound of the music died away as we left the hall.
- Her voice died away into silence.
die down
1/dˈaɪ dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
become less intense over time
To become quieter, weaker, or less active.
Examples
- The wind finally died down by evening.
- The laughter slowly died down after the joke.
die out
1/dˈaɪ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
become extinct or vanish over time
To slowly disappear until there are none left.
Examples
- Many species are dying out due to climate change.
- Many wild animals are dying out due to habitat loss.
- Old traditions sometimes die out over generations.
- This tradition has died out in most places.
never say die
1/nˈɛvɚ sˈeɪ dˈaɪ/
idiom
informal
keep trying despite difficulties
Do not give up hope or effort even when it is hard.
Examples
- It's a tough situation, but never say die!
- He has a never-say-die attitude on the field.
never say die
2/nˈɛvɚ sˈeɪ dˈaɪ/
idiom
informal
Keep trying despite problems
Keep trying and don't give up.
Examples
- Even after many failures, he had a never say die attitude.
- We have a never say die spirit on this team.
to die for
1/tə dˈaɪ fɚ/
idiom
informal
extremely attractive or desirable
Very good or beautiful; worth wanting a lot.
Examples
- Her chocolate cake is to die for.
- That view is absolutely to die for.
- That view from the mountain is to die for.