(~s, dying, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
When people, animals, and plants ~, they stop living.
A year later my dog ~d...
Sadly, both he and my mother ~d of cancer...
I would ~ a very happy person if I could stay in music my whole life...
...friends who ~d young.
VERB: no passive, V, V of/from n, V n, V adj
2.
If a person, animal, or plant is dying, they are so ill or so badly injured that they will not live very much longer.
The elm trees are all dying...
Every working day I treat people who are dying from lung diseases caused by smoking.
? recover
VERB: only cont, V, V of/from n
3.
If someone ~s a violent, unnatural, or painful death, they ~ in a violent, unnatural, or painful way.
He watched helplessly as his mother ~d an agonizing death...
VERB: no passive, V n
4.
If a machine or device ~s, it stops completely, especially after a period of working more and more slowly or inefficiently. (WRITTEN)
Then suddenly, the engine coughed, spluttered and ~d.
VERB: V
5.
You can say that you are dying of thirst, hunger, boredom, or curiosity to emphasize that you are very thirsty, hungry, bored, or curious. (INFORMAL)
Order me a pot of tea, I’m dying of thirst.
VERB: only cont, V of n emphasis
6.
You can say that you are dying for something or are dying to do something to emphasize that you very much want to have it or do it. (INFORMAL)
I’m dying for a breath of fresh air...
She was dying to talk to Frank.
VERB: only cont, V for n, V to-inf emphasis
7.
You can use ~ in expressions such as ‘I almost ~d’ or ‘I’d ~ if anything happened’ where you are emphasizing your feelings about a situation, for example to say that it is very shocking, upsetting, embarrassing, or amusing. (INFORMAL, mainly SPOKEN)
I nearly ~d when I learned where I was ending up...
I nearly ~d of shame...
I thought I’d ~ laughing.
VERB: V, V of n, V -ing emphasis
8.
A ~ is a specially shaped or patterned block of metal which is used to press or cut other metal into a particular shape.
N-COUNT
9.
see also dying
10.
You can say that the ~ is cast to draw attention to the importance of an event or decision which is going to affect your future and which cannot be changed or avoided.
PHRASE: V inflects
11.
If you say that habits or attitudes ~ hard, you mean that they take a very long time to disappear or change, so that it may not be possible to get rid of them completely.
Old habits ~ hard...
PHRASE: V inflects