Dying means approaching death or coming to an end. When a plant's leaves turn brown and wilt because it hasn't received enough water, the plant is dying. When doctors say a person is dying, they mean that person's body is failing and will soon stop working.

The word describes the process of moving toward death rather than death itself. A battery might be dying when your flashlight grows dim, meaning it's running out of power. A campfire is dying when the flames shrink and the embers fade. In these cases, dying means gradually losing strength or energy.

People also use dying figuratively to describe things fading away. An old tradition might be dying out if fewer people practice it each year. A friendship could be dying if two people slowly stop spending time together. You might hear someone say “I'm dying to know what happens next” when they're extremely eager or curious, but this is just a colorful way of expressing intense interest.