What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
dead–alive
adjective
\¦dedəl¦īv, -edə¦līv\
variants: less commonly
dead–and–alive
\¦dedənə¦līv\Definition of dead–alive
: alive but as if dead : dull spiritless
Explore M-W
There's more!
Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:
- More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
- Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
- Advanced search features
- Ad free!
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up dead–alive? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!