1 B1 neutral
Of a species, animal, or plant: to become extinct; to stop existing entirely.
"The dodo died out in the late seventeenth century."
“
The wolves of Ireland died out around 1786.
— Wikipedia / general historical record
die out
B1 neutral intransitive
To become extinct or completely disappear over time.
In plain English
To disappear completely so that nothing is left.
What does "die out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
Of a custom, tradition, language, or practice: to stop being observed or used until it no longer exists.
"Many indigenous languages are dying out because children are no longer taught them."
3 A2 neutral
Of a fire or flame: to stop burning completely.
"They let the fire die out before going to sleep."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To die completely out of existence.
Actually means
To disappear completely so that nothing is left.
Usage tip
Used for species, languages, traditions, practices, and phenomena. Strongly implies permanence — once something has 'died out', it is gone. Very common in environmental, cultural, and historical discourse.
Words that pair with "die out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
species language tradition custom dinosaurs practice
How to conjugate "die out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
die out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dies out
he/she/it
Past simple
died out
yesterday
Past participle
died out
have + pp
-ing form
diing out
continuous
Hear "die out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "die out" 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.