die down — become less strong
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to gradually become less loud, strong, or active than before
Say it like a native
Textbook We waited for the public excitement to gradually diminish.
Native We waited for the fuss to die down.
'Die down' is the natural verb for noise or excitement fading; 'gradually diminish' is formal and flat.
Pattern: something dies down
In use
- The noise from the party finally died down around midnight.daily life
- I waited until the excitement had died down before I tried to speak to the manager.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ After the storm died down off, we went out.
✓ After the storm died down, we went out.
'Die down' is complete on its own — don't add 'off'.
Common collocations
die down + subject— the wind, the noise, the excitement, the fuss
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'die out', which means to disappear completely.