Standard Lemma guide

dying

adj · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈdaɪ.ɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪɪŋ
  • homophone: dyeing
  • CMU ARPABET: D AY1 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Approaching death; about to die; moribund.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The dying dog was put out of his misery with a single shot!
  • a dying fire
  • The battlefield was littered with the dead and dying.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Declining, terminal, or drawing to an end.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • In the dying moments of daylight I glimpsed a sail on the horizon.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Pertaining to death, or the moments before death.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • His dying words were of his mother.
  • until my dying day
  • his dying bed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The process of approaching death; loss of life; death.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

present participle and gerund of die

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

present participle and gerund of dye

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, nonstandard, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a dying man
  • his dying wish
  • a dying fire
  • a dying civilization

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nascent

8

noun

Meaning 8

the time when something ends

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it was the death of all his plans
  • a dying of old hopes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: death, demise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: end, ending

Narrower terms: grave

History

Etymology

From die + -ing.

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Across languages

Translations

73 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: умиращ (umirašt) — approaching death
  • Chinese Mandarin: 命危 (mìngwēi) — approaching death
  • Chinese Mandarin: 瀕死 /濒死 (bīnsǐ) — approaching death
  • Chinese Mandarin: 奄奄一息 (yǎnyǎnyīxī) — approaching death
  • Dutch: aan het sterven — approaching death
  • Esperanto: mortanta — approaching death
  • Finnish: kuoleva — approaching death
  • French: mourant — approaching death
  • German: sterbend — approaching death
  • German: im Sterben liegen — approaching death
  • Hungarian: haldokló — approaching death
  • Indonesian: sakratulmaut — approaching death
  • Indonesian: sekarat — approaching death
  • Italian: morente — approaching death
  • Japanese: 死にそうな (shinisōna) — approaching death
  • Japanese: 消えそうな (kiesōna) — approaching death
  • Japanese: 瀕死の (hinshi no) — approaching death
  • Latin: moribundus — approaching death
  • Malay: nazak — approaching death
  • Old Prussian: aulaūjants — approaching death
  • Polish: umierający — approaching death
  • Portuguese: morrente — approaching death
  • Portuguese: moribundo — approaching death
  • Romanian: muribund — approaching death
  • Romanian: pe moarte — approaching death
  • Russian: умира́ющий (umirájuščij) — approaching death
  • Sanskrit: मारुक (māruka) — approaching death
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̀мирӯћи — approaching death
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùmirūći — approaching death
  • Spanish: moribundo — approaching death
  • Spanish: mortecino — approaching death
  • Swedish: döende — approaching death
  • Tagalog: naghihingalo — approaching death
  • Turkish: ölmekte olan — approaching death
  • Bulgarian: умиращи (umirašti) — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Czech: umírající — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Dutch: de stervenden — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Finnish: kuolevat — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Hungarian: haldokló — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Italian: moribondo — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Italian: morente — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Russian: умира́ющие (umirájuščije) — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Spanish: moribundo — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Swedish: döende — approaching death, used as a substantive: those who are currently expiring
  • Bulgarian: пропадащ (propadašt) — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Finnish: viime — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Finnish: loppu- — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Japanese: 末期の (makki no) — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Māori: tāromaroma — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Russian: погиба́ющий (pogibájuščij) — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Russian: ги́бнущий (gíbnuščij) — declining, or drawing to an end
  • Bulgarian: предсмъртен (predsmǎrten) — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Dutch: stervende — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Finnish: viimeinen — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Finnish: kuolin- — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Hungarian: halál előtti — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Japanese: 末期の (matsugo no) — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Portuguese: de morte — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Romanian: de moarte — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Russian: предсме́ртный (predsmértnyj) — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Swedish: dödsbädds- — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Swedish: döds- — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Ukrainian: передсме́ртний (peredsmértnyj) — pertaining to the moments before death
  • Bulgarian: умиране (umirane) — process of approaching death
  • Chichewa: kufá — process of approaching death
  • Chichewa: kumwálira — process of approaching death
  • Czech: umírání — process of approaching death
  • Dutch: sterven — process of approaching death
  • Finnish: kuoleminen — process of approaching death
  • German: Sterben — process of approaching death
  • Hungarian: haldoklás — process of approaching death
  • Russian: умира́ние (umiránije) — process of approaching death
  • Volapük: deadam — process of approaching death
Real reading context

dying in complete knowledge articles