1. on the point of death: "he visited his dying mother"Similarterminally illat death's dooron one's deathbedin the jaws of deathon the point of deathnear deathpassing awayfading fastsinking fastexpiringmoribundbreathing one's lastnot long for this worldin extremisinformal:on one's last legswith one foot in the gravegiving up the ghost
▪ occurring at or connected with the time that someone dies: "he strained to catch her dying words"SimilarfinallastdepartingdeathbedOppositefirst
▪ gradually ceasing to exist or function; in decline and about to disappear: "the making of valves is a dying art"Similardecliningvanishingfadingpassingebbingwaningin declineinformal:on the way outon its last legsOppositethriving
▪ (of a period of time) final; closing:"the dying moments of the match"
Word Originlate 16th century: present participle of die1.
