deadlier; deadliest
1
: likely to cause or capable of producing death
deadly poison
2
a
: aiming to kill or destroy : implacable
a deadly enemy
b
: highly effective
a deadly exposé
c
: unerring
a deadly marksman
d
: marked by determination or extreme seriousness
3
a
: tending to deprive of force or vitality
a deadly habit
b
: suggestive of death especially in dullness or lack of animation
deadly bores
a deadly conversation
4
: very great : extreme
deadliness
noun
Synonyms
Adjective
Adverb
- achingly
- almighty
- archly
- awful
- awfully
- badly
- beastly
- blisteringly
- bone
- colossally
- corking
- cracking
- damn
- damned
- dang
- desperately
- eminently
- enormously
- especially
- ever
- exceedingly
- exceeding
- extra
- extremely
- fabulously
- fantastically
- far
- fiercely
- filthy
- frightfully
- full
- greatly
- heavily
- highly
- hugely
- immensely
- incredibly
- intensely
- jolly
- majorly
- mightily
- mighty
- monstrous [chiefly dialect]
- mortally
- most
- much
- particularly
- passing
- rattling
- real
- really
- right
- roaring
- roaringly
- seriously
- severely
- so
- sore
- sorely
- spanking
- specially
- stinking
- such
- super
- supremely
- surpassingly
- terribly
- that
- thumping
- too
- unco
- uncommonly
- vastly
- very
- vitally
- way
- whacking
- wicked
- wildly
Examples of deadly in a Sentence
Adjective
the world's most deadly snake
a more deadly form of the disease
They launched a deadly attack.
Officers are allowed to use deadly force if necessary.
She shoots with deadly accuracy.
a basketball player with deadly aim
A deadly silence followed his question.
The two gang leaders are deadly enemies.
He spoke with deadly seriousness.
Adverb
I'm deadly serious about making an offer on the house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacklyn Krol, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
Janet Garcia, 27, from Everett, Washington, who was arrested March 29, has been charged with first-degree murder, domestic violence with a deadly weapon, and aggravated domestic violence with the circumstance of a vulnerable victim.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadly 
Adjective
Adam's formal charges were three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of carrying a dirk or dagger.
—Jacklyn Krol, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
Janet Garcia, 27, from Everett, Washington, who was arrested March 29, has been charged with first-degree murder, domestic violence with a deadly weapon, and aggravated domestic violence with the circumstance of a vulnerable victim.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deadly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deadly
Cite this Entry
“Deadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadly. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deadly
2 of 2 adverb1
: suggesting death
deadly pale
2
: to a very great degree
deadly dull
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