Dying — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈdī-iŋ/ dy·ing

Meaning & Definition of Dying

Dying (adjective)

  1. approaching death, gradually ceasing to be
  2. having reached an advanced or ultimate stage of decay or disuse
  3. of, relating to, or occurring at the time of death or dying

Dying (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. nearly dead

    "we watered the dying plants just in time"

    similar: moribund, at death's door
    related: expiring, fading, passing away, sinking, decadent, declining, deteriorating, dead, deceased, defunct, demised, departed, fallen, gone, lifeless, passed away, terminal
    near: alive, animate, live, living, quick, being, breathing, existing, subsisting, surviving, booming, flourishing, prospering, roaring, thriving, animated, bouncing, energetic, frisky, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy

Dying (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in death, end

    similar: death, decease, demise, end, exit, expiration, expiring, expiry, perishing, ebbing, fading, shriveling, waning, wilting, withering, regression, retrogression, reversion, decadence, decay, decaying, declension, decline, declining, degeneration, descent, deterioration
    opposite: development, growth, maturation, maturing, ripening, blossoming, flourishing, flowering, mellowing, softening

Dying (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to stop living

    "the king died of old age after a long and fruitful reign"

    similar: checking out, conking (out), croaking (slang), deceasing, demising, departing, dropping, ending, exiting, expiring, falling, flatlining, going, kicking in (slang), kicking off (slang), parting, passing away, passing (on), pegging out (chiefly British), perishing, popping off, stepping out, succumbing, biting the dust, buying it, giving up the ghost, kicking the bucket, snuffing it (British)
    related: predeceasing, consuming, disappearing, drying up, fading, failing
    opposite: breathing, living
    near: coming to, reviving, lingering, being, existing, subsisting, flourishing, prospering, thriving

  2. to come to an end

    "the storm died just as dawn was breaking over the horizon"

    similar: breaking off, breaking up, ceasing, closing, concluding, dead-ending, determining, discontinuing, elapsing, ending, expiring, finishing, going, halting, lapsing, leaving off, letting up, passing, quitting, stopping, terminating, winding up, winking (out), biting the dust
    related: desisting (from), laying off (of), refraining (from), giving over (British), knocking off, packing (up or in), breaking down, conking (out), cutting out, stalling, pausing, staying, suspending, abating, petering (out), winding down
    opposite: continuing, hanging on, persisting
    near: drawing out, extending, prolonging, protracting

  3. to stop functioning

    "fortunately, when the engine died we were only two blocks from home"

    similar: breaking, breaking down, conking (out), crashing, cutting out, failing, giving out, stalling
    related: fizzling, sputtering, wheezing, acting up, malfunctioning, jamming
    opposite: starting (up)

Related Entry: Die (verb)

Die is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for die, not for dying.

  1. to stop living

    "the king died of old age after a long and fruitful reign"

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in (slang), kick off (slang), pass (on), pass away, part, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

  2. to come to an end

    "the storm died just as dawn was breaking over the horizon"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

  3. to stop functioning

    "fortunately, when the engine died we were only two blocks from home"

    similar: break, break down, conk (out), crash, cut out, fail, give out, stall
    related: fizzle, sputter, wheeze, act up, malfunction, jam
    opposite: start (up)

Related Entry: Die (away or down or out) (verb)

Die (away or down or out) is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for die (away or down or out), not for dying.

  1. to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually

    "the fuss gradually died down as people found other things with which to concern themselves"

    similar: abate, de-escalate, decline, decrease, diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, wane
    related: compress, condense, constrict, contract, evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish, slacken, slow (down), alleviate, relax, flag, sink, weaken, cave (in), collapse, deflate
    opposite: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax
    near: appear, emerge, show up, blow up, distend, elongate, lengthen

Related Entry: Die (for) (verb)

Die (for) is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for die (for), not for dying.

  1. to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

    "I'd die for some ice cream right now"

    similar: ache (for), covet, crave, desiderate, desire, hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for), jones (for) (slang), long (for), lust (for or after), pant (after), pine (for), repine (for), salivate (for), sigh (for), thirst (for), want, wish (for), yearn (for), yen (for), set one's heart on
    related: spoil (for), adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in), favor, prefer, admire, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value
    near: abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, decline, refuse, reject, spurn

Related Entry: Dying (down) (adjective)

Dying (down) is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for dying (down), not for dying.

  1. as in waning, moderating

    similar: abating, ebbing, letting up, moderating, subsiding, waning, ceasing, closing, concluding, desisting, discontinuing, dying, ending, expiring, finishing, lapsing, leaving off, passing, quitting, stopping, terminating, winding up
    opposite: leftover, remaining, lingering, residual, abiding, biding, continuing, enduring, holding on, holding up, keeping up, lasting, perduring, persisting, running on

Related Entry: Dying (down) (verb)

Dying (down) is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for dying (down), not for dying.

  1. as in diminishing, decreasing

    similar: abating, decreasing, de-escalating, diminishing, drooping, dwindling, ebbing, lessening, letting up, moderating, subsiding, tapering off, waning, crashing, cratering, declining, descending, dipping, diving, dropping, falling, lowering, nose-diving, plummeting, plunging, sinking, skidding, tumbling, receding, retreating
    opposite: arising, ascending, lifting, mounting, rising, soaring, spiking, upping, accumulating, ballooning, building, burgeoning, enlarging, escalating, expanding, growing, increasing, intensifying, mushrooming, picking up, snowballing, swelling, waxing

Related Entry: Dying (from) (verb)

Dying (from) is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for dying (from), not for dying.

  1. as in succumbing (to)

    similar: succumbing (to), breaking out (with), failing, languishing, sinking, wasting (away), weakening, wilting, withering, worsening, catching, coming down (with), contracting, getting, going down (with) (chiefly British), sickening (with), taking
    opposite: coming back, gaining, healing, mending, recouping, recovering, recuperating, snapping back, rallying, rebounding, recovering (from), shaking (off)

Related Entry: Dying on the vine (phrase)

Dying on the vine is a different word from Dying. The synonyms below are for dying on the vine, not for dying.

  1. to be unsuccessful

    "Her plan to write a memoir died on the vine."

    similar: bombing, collapsing, cratering, failing, flaming out, flopping, flunking, folding, foundering, missing, striking out, tanking, washing out, coming a cropper, coming to grief, coming up empty, falling flat, falling on one's face, falling short, laying an egg
    related: floundering, struggling, declining, sinking, skidding, slipping, slumping, waning, crashing, crumbling, miscarrying, misfiring, going under, imploding, self-destructing
    opposite: clicking, coming off, delivering, going, going over, panning out, succeeding, working out
    near: cooking, flourishing, prospering, thriving, prevailing, triumphing, winning

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dying

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dying:

Slang: croaking, kicking in, kicking off
Chiefly British: pegging out
British: snuffing it
moribund, at death's door, death, decease, demise, end, exit, expiration, expiring, expiry, perishing, ebbing, fading, shriveling, waning, wilting, withering, regression, retrogression, reversion, decadence, decay, decaying, declension, decline, declining, degeneration, descent, deterioration, checking out, conking (out), deceasing, demising, departing, dropping, ending, exiting, falling, flatlining, going

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dying

Words with the opposite meaning of Dying:

development, growth, maturation, maturing, ripening, blossoming, flourishing, flowering, mellowing, softening, breathing, living, continuing, hanging on, persisting, starting (up)

Related Words for Dying

sinking, decadent, deteriorating, dead, deceased, defunct, demised, departed, fallen, gone, lifeless, passed away, terminal, predeceasing, consuming, disappearing, drying up, desisting (from), laying off (of), refraining (from), giving over, knocking off, packing (up or in), pausing, staying, suspending, abating, petering (out), winding down, fizzling

Near Antonyms of Dying

alive, animate, live, quick, being, existing, subsisting, surviving, booming, prospering, roaring, thriving, animated, bouncing, energetic, frisky, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, coming to, reviving, lingering

Origin & Etymology of Dying

First known use: 15th century

Words & Phrases Containing Dying

dying breed, dying wish, the sick and dying, until one's dying day

Frequently Asked Questions about Dying

What does "Dying" mean?

"Dying" means approaching death, gradually ceasing to be. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: approaching death, gradually ceasing to be. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dying"?

Other words for "Dying" include moribund, at death's door, death, decease, demise, end, exit and expiration. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dying" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dying"?

There are 117 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dying". Common alternatives include moribund, at death's door, death, decease, demise, end, exit, expiration, expiring and expiry.

What is a slang word for "Dying"?

Slang words for "Dying" include croaking, kicking in and kicking off.

What is the opposite of "Dying"?

Antonyms of "Dying" include development, growth, maturation, maturing, ripening, blossoming, flourishing and flowering. Near antonyms include alive, animate, live and quick.

How do you use "Dying" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dying" in a sentence: "we watered the dying plants just in time"; "the king died of old age after a long and fruitful reign"; "the storm died just as dawn was breaking over the horizon".

Is "Dying" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dying" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Dying"?

"Dying" is pronounced /ˈdī-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as dy·ing.