die off and die out

[dilodi83]

Dear teachers, I have a problem with two definitions; the definition of the verb "die off" and that of the verb "die out". I looked them up into the dictionary but they look the same to me.

to die off: if a group of people, animals or plants die off, they die one by one until there are no more.
to die out: to stop existing.

Aren't they the same? How do you use them in English? Any example?

Thank you very much.

[Raymott]

Dear teachers, I have a problem with two definitions; the definition of the verb "die off" and that of the verb "die out". I looked them up into the dictionary but they look the same to me.

to die off: if a group of people, animals or plants die off, they die one by one until there are no more.
to die out: to stop existing.

Aren't they the same? How do you use them in English? Any example?

Thank you very much.

They mean the same for extinction. However, the plants in your garden can "die off"; one plant can "die off"; even parts of a plant, for example the flowers, can die off. In winter, the leaves of deciduous trees die off.
I'd leave "die out" for species extinction, but that's just a guideline.

[Route21]

See:
die - definition of die by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

die off
To undergo a sudden, sharp decline in population:*Rabbits were dying off in that county.

die out
To cease living completely; become extinct:*tribes and tribal customs that died out centuries ago.

One is merely a reduction, the other is complete elimination.

Hope this helps
R21