What does ‘I’m dying for a coffee’ mean?

If someone says ‘I’m dying for a coffee,’ it doesn’t mean they will actually die to get a coffee. It just means the speaker really wants a coffee.

So, in this phrase, ‘dying’ means the speaker has a very strong wish to do or have something. It is followed by either ‘to+VERB’’ or ‘for+NOUN’. Here are some examples:

I’m dying for a pepperoni pizza.

I’m dying to meet your new boyfriend.

I’m dying to know what happens in the next episode.


So, what is something you’re dying for? 🙂


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Another similar phrase is ‘to die for.’ This is used at the end of a clause to talk about something that is very good or attractive. Here are some examples:

The food at this restaurant is to die for, it’s so good.

She was wearing a dress to die for.

These cookies are to die for.


The adjective ‘drop-dead’ also has a similar meaning. It is used to talk about someone who’s very attractive or things like very attractive clothing. Here are some examples:

She was drop-dead gorgeous.

The actress wore a drop-dead gown to the award ceremony.


Related links:

What does ‘I’m pulling your leg!’ mean?

What does ‘Let’s play it by ear’ mean?

What does ‘It’s on my bucket list’ mean?