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as in doomed
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death if we don't finish this project on time, we're dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dead

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adverb

dead

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noun

as in death
the state of being dead it's impossible to raise someone from the dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dead contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dead are deceased, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How does the word deceased relate to other synonyms for dead?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When is it sensible to use defunct instead of dead?

The words defunct and dead are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

Where would departed be a reasonable alternative to dead?

The synonyms departed and dead are sometimes interchangeable, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When might late be a better fit than dead?

Although the words late and dead have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dead
Adjective
Two people are dead and two were hospitalized with serious injuries after an overnight wrong-way crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Miami-Dade County caused another traffic accident early Sunday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Hunter Geisel, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025 The storm left more than 60 people dead in Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
At the time, Kelly said, businesses refused to sell to a woman, but Mary was dead-set on doing it herself. Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025 Consumer Reports, however, ranked them dead last in a list of most reliable automakers. Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
It was built to honor the Confederate dead of Chowan County. Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Boynton Beach Fire Rescue pronounced Civitano dead at the scene. Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • Jerusalem — Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 42 people, including children, after Israel accused Hamas of killing a soldier and staging the discovery of a deceased hostage.
    Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Julian's mother was treated for her injuries, but the toddler could not be saved and was pronounced deceased.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Tiles also exhibited hysteresis, which was smaller at slower speeds due to the rubber’s viscoelastic properties, as reported by Nanowerk.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Levi, an electrical engineer who founded MicroKits in 2020, has had to raise prices, slow production and pause plans to launch a new product – Banan-a-Synth – that lets kids turn a bunch of bananas into a kind of keyboard.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Stein conducted experiments under James’s supervision, but quickly tired of studying her subjects’ responses and preferred talking with them and tracking their characters.
    Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
  • If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Following a few months of absolute chaos, as Nuno Espirito Santo talked himself out of a job and was replaced by Ange Postecoglou — a man with a footballing ethos that could not have been more different — Dyche is very much needed, as a steady hand on the tiller.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But honestly, the last three months of rehearsals, getting to know each other, have been an absolute joy for everyone involved.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Fans are numb to these sorts of stories.
    Mac Engel October 23, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
  • In a small town like Harding, a crime involving local children of local families shatters the relatively placid and usually numb routines of daily life.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Fossil remains have led to the identification of an extinct rhinoceros that lived about 23 million years ago.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
  • This is the third such species that has earned this label since 2020, when scientists declared the pillar coral functionally extinct.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • To help your plants establish, make sure to get potted raspberries in the ground at least 4 to 6 weeks before frost is expected, or choose bare root canes, which are dormant and can be planted even later in the season, as long as the ground isn't frozen.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
  • Someone’s words could catch you off guard, or perhaps awaken a part of you that’s been dormant.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Weather events, like extreme heat and wildfires, are becoming more common due to climate change and are having a deadly impact on the lives of thousands.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
  • What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
    Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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