1
: one who has not paid for a ticket
2
: a dull or stupid person
3
: a partially submerged log
4
Deadhead
: a devoted fan of the rock group the Grateful Dead
The bond between the [Grateful] Dead and the Deadheads was extraordinary.—
Bill Barich
Bill Barich5
gardening
: a faded blossom on a flowering plant
Pansies are still available for late spring bloom. Keep deadheads off.—Edith Henderson
Edith Henderson
deadheaded; deadheading; deadheads
: to remove the faded flowers of (a plant) especially to keep a neat appearance and to promote reblooming by preventing seed production
Examples of deadhead in a Sentence
Noun
people knew that he was a deadhead and voted for him anyway
Verb
She's out in the garden deadheading the rosebushes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adam Levine, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
The band would survive long past the hippie moment of its birth, with its ultra-devoted fans known as Deadheads often following them on the road in a virtually non-stop tour that persisted despite decades of music and culture shifting around them.
—Andrew Dalton, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2025
Every night, Blakeney told me, an army of employees filed into Epic Universe to power wash sidewalks, deadhead the plants, repaint dirty walls, and replace lightbulbs.
—Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadhead
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.
Noun
Their fans, known as Deadheads, would tour along from city to city and revel in the constantly changing set lists, extended soloing and improvisational jamming that gave each show a unique flavor.
—Adam Levine, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
The band would survive long past the hippie moment of its birth, with its ultra-devoted fans known as Deadheads often following them on the road in a virtually non-stop tour that persisted despite decades of music and culture shifting around them.
—Andrew Dalton, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
Don’t forget to deadhead them to keep them looking their best for as long as possible.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2025
Every night, Blakeney told me, an army of employees filed into Epic Universe to power wash sidewalks, deadhead the plants, repaint dirty walls, and replace lightbulbs.
—Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadhead
Cite this Entry
“Deadhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadhead. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
