1 A2 neutral
Of a fire or flames: to reduce in size and intensity.
"We waited for the campfire to die down before leaving."
die down
B1 neutral intransitive
To gradually reduce in strength, intensity, or level until calm or quiet is restored.
In plain English
To slowly become less strong, loud, or exciting until things go back to normal.
What does "die down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
Of a storm, wind, or natural event: to lose strength and become less severe.
"The storm eventually died down around midnight."
3 B1 neutral
Of noise, excitement, controversy, or public feeling: to diminish gradually and return to a calm state.
"The scandal dominated the news for a week, but it soon died down."
“
When the noise died down, someone at the back started singing.
— Nick Hornby, About a Boy (1998)
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To die in a downward direction — intensity dropping toward zero.
Actually means
To slowly become less strong, loud, or exciting until things go back to normal.
Usage tip
Very common in both spoken and written English. Used for fire, wind, noise, controversy, protests, excitement. Always intransitive. Often implies that the situation was temporarily heightened.
Words that pair with "die down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
storm fire excitement controversy protest noise
How to conjugate "die down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
die down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dies down
he/she/it
Past simple
died down
yesterday
Past participle
died down
have + pp
-ing form
diing down
continuous
Hear "die down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "die down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.