bite the dust

verb

To die.

“My old backpack finally bit the dust the other day.”

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Meanings

verbbite the dust (third-person singular simple present bites the dust, present participle biting the dust, simple past bit the dust, past participle bitten the dust)

present singular third person bites the dust · participle present biting the dust · past bit the dust · participle past bitten the dust

  1. euphemisticidiomaticTo die.

    Three more warriors bit the dust...

    1877, Frances Fuller Victor, Eleven years in the Rocky Mountains and a life on the frontier, Chapter IX, p. 156
    2 more examples

    Ulysses killed Demoptolemus, Telemachus Euryades, Eumæus Elatus, while the stockman killed Pisander. These all bit the dust, and as the others drew back into a corner Ulysses and his men rushed forward and regained their spears by drawing them from the bodies of the dead

    1900, Samuel Butler, transl. The Odyssey, Book XXII., page 293

    Tons of engine sheds would bite the dust with the end of steam, and many would be demolished with their time in the spotlight over. We're lucky that the one at Didcot survived into preservation.

    2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Didcot (1932)”, in RAIL, number 947, page 61
  2. idiomaticTo quit, or fail.

    My old backpack finally bit the dust the other day.

    1 more example

    London calling, now don't look to us / Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust

    1979, “London Calling”, The Clash (music)

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
be gathered to one's fathersbite the big onebuy itbuy the big onecash incross the styxdarkendeceasediedrop off the hooksexitexpiregive one's allgive up the ghostgogo the way of the dodokick the bucketkiss the dustlose one's lifepasspass onperishshuffle off this mortal coilsinksuck the kumara

Translations

Ancient Greek ὀδὰξ αἱρέω οὖδας, ὀδὰξ αἱρέω γαῖαν
  • ὀδὰξ αἱρέω οὖδας (odàx hairéō oûdas)to die
  • ὀδὰξ αἱρέω γαῖαν (odàx hairéō gaîan)to die
  • ὀδὰξ λάζομαι γαῖαν (odàx lázomai gaîan)to die
Chinese Mandarin 一敗塗地 /一败涂地, 報廢 /报废
  • 一敗塗地 /一败涂地 (yībàitúdì)to quit or fail
  • 報廢 /报废 (bàofèi)to quit or fail
Czech natáhnout bačkory, zaklepat bačkorama
  • natáhnout bačkoryto die
  • zaklepat bačkoramato die
  • rozbít seto quit or fail
  • dat kožuto quit or fail
Danish bide i graesset
  • bide i graessetto die
Dutch in het zand bijten
  • in het zand bijtento die
Finnish potkaista tyhjää, heittää veivinsä
  • potkaista tyhjääto die
  • heittää veivinsäto die
  • sanoa sopimuksensa irtito quit or fail
French avaler son extrait de naissance, claquer
  • avaler son extrait de naissanceto die
  • claquerto die
  • creverto die
  • calancherto die
  • mordre la poussièreto quit or fail
  • lâcherto quit or fail
German ins Gras beißen, ins Gras beißen
  • ins Gras beißento die
  • ins Gras beißento quit or fail
Greek βλέπω τα ραδίκια ανάποδα
  • βλέπω τα ραδίκια ανάποδα (vlépo ta radíkia anápoda)to die
Italian mordere la terra, tirare le cuoia
  • mordere la terrato die
  • tirare le cuoiato die
  • mangiare la polvereto quit or fail
  • fallireto quit or fail
  • essere sconfittoto quit or fail
Norwegian Bokmål bite i gresset, bite i graset
  • bite i gressetto die
  • bite i grasetto die
  • bite i gressetto quit or fail
  • bite i grasetto quit or fail
Polish kopnąć w kalendarz, spaść z rowerka
  • kopnąć w kalendarzto die
  • spaść z rowerkato die
Portuguese ir desta para a melhor
  • ir desta para a melhorto die
Romanian da colțul
  • da colțulto die
Russian сыгра́ть в я́щик, да́ть ду́ба
  • сыгра́ть в я́щик (sygrátʹ v jáščik)to die
  • да́ть ду́ба (dátʹ dúba)to die
  • накры́ться (nakrýtʹsja)to quit or fail
Spanish morder la tierra, morder el polvo
  • morder la tierrato die
  • morder el polvoto die
  • morder el polvoto quit or fail
Swedish bita i gräset, bita i gräset
  • bita i gräsetto die
  • bita i gräsetto quit or fail
Tamil மண்ணைக் கவ்வு
  • மண்ணைக் கவ்வு (maṇṇaik kavvu)to quit or fail
Turkish can vermek, canı çıkmak
  • can vermekto die
  • canı çıkmakto die
  • dünyaya gözlerini yummakto die
  • nalları dikmekto die
Cite this entry
APA

bite the dust. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bite%20the%20dust

MLA

“bite the dust.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bite%20the%20dust. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bite the dust,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bite%20the%20dust.

Source: bite the dust on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.