dead

1 of 2

adjective

ˈded 

1

: deprived of life : no longer alive

a dead tree

dead soldiers

missing and presumed dead

The robbers were wanted dead or alive.

He was as good as dead. [= he was almost dead]

2

a(1)

: having the appearance of death : deathly

in a dead faint

I taught my dog to play dead [=lie on its back and pretend to be dead]

(2)

: lacking power to move, feel, or respond : numb

I slept on my arm and now it feels dead.

b

: very tired

Our legs were completely dead after the hike.

I came home from work half dead. [=exhausted]

c(1)

: incapable of being stirred emotionally or intellectually : unresponsive

a heart dead to pity

felt dead inside

(2)

: grown cold : extinguished

dead coals

3

a

: inanimate, inert

dead matter

b

: barren, infertile

dead soil

c

: no longer producing or functioning : exhausted

a dead battery

4

a(1)

: lacking power or effect

a dead law

(2)

: no longer having interest, relevance, or significance

a dead issue

b

: no longer in use : obsolete

a dead language

c

: no longer active : extinct

a dead volcano

d

: lacking in activity or excitement

This party is dead.

e(1)

: lacking in commercial activity : quiet

The city is dead after five o'clock.

(2)

: commercially idle or unproductive

dead capital

f

: lacking elasticity (see elasticity sense 1a)

a dead tennis ball

g

: being out of action or out of use

The phone went dead.

specifically, electrical engineering : free from any connection to a source of voltage and free from electric charges

a dead electrical circuit

h(1)

sports and games : being out of play

a dead ball

(2)

croquet : temporarily forbidden to play or to make a certain play

5

a

: not running or circulating : stagnant

dead water

b

: not turning

the dead center of a lathe

c

mechanical engineering : not imparting motion or power although otherwise functioning

a dead rear axle

d

: lacking warmth, vigor, or taste

The fire was dead.

a dead wine

6

a

: absolutely uniform

a dead level of mediocrity

b(1)

: unerring

a dead shot with a rifle

(2)

: exact

dead center of the target

(3)

: certain to be punished or hurt

I'm dead if I'm late for work again.

If I ever get my hands on you, you're dead!

(4)

: irrevocable

a dead loss

c

: abrupt

brought to a dead stop

d(1)

: complete, absolute

a dead silence

(2)

: all-out

caught it on the dead run

7

: devoid of former occupants

dead villages

deadness noun

see also:

dead in the water dead on arrival dead to rights over one's dead body

play dead

2 of 2

phrase

: to lie on one's back and pretend to be dead

She taught her dog to play dead.

Synonyms of dead

Adjective

• deceased
• fallen
• dying
• late
• asleep
• extinct
• low
• gone

Choose the Right Synonym for dead

dead, defunct, deceased, departed, late 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

defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently.

deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Examples of dead in a Sentence

Adjective

Her husband is dead. He died last year.

He was found dead in his apartment yesterday.

He lay dead on the floor.

The lost mountain climbers were believed dead.

The poster said that the robbers were wanted dead or alive.

Our legs were completely dead after hiking all day.

I'm dead if I come in late for work again.

If I ever get my hands on you, you're dead!

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

According to law enforcement, Handy was taken to a local hospital by paramedics, where he was pronounced dead. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

Jones was found dead on July 5, 1980, in a grapefruit grove in Fontana, California, the Fontana Police Department and the San Bernardino County district attorney said in press releases. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 5 June 2026

One woman is dead, and another one is in custody after a stabbing during a disturbance early Thursday in Kansas City’s Northland, a police spokesperson said. —Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026

The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. —Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English deed, from Old English dēad; akin to Old Norse dauthr dead, deyja to die, Old High German tōt dead — more at die

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dead

• a dead cert
• (as) dead as a dodo
• (as) dead as a doornail
• beat a dead horse
• brain-dead
• catch dead
• come back from the dead
• cut (someone) dead
• dead ahead
• dead air
• dead-air space
• dead and buried
• dead and gone
• dead battery
• dead bolt
• dead-cat bounce
• dead center
• dead cert
• dead duck
• dead-end
• dead faint
• dead from the neck up
• dead giveaway
• dead hand
• dead heat
• dead horse
• dead in the water
• dead letter
• dead lift
• dead load
• dead loss
• dead man's float
• dead march
• dead meat
• dead men tell no tales
• dead metaphor
• dead name
• dead of night
• dead of the night
• dead of winter
• dead-on
• dead on arrival
• dead on one's feet
• dead presidents
• dead reckoning
• dead ringer
• dead set
• dead set against
• dead set on
• dead space
• dead-stick landing
• dead to rights
• dead to the world
• dead-tree
• drop-dead
• drop-dead date
• flog a dead horse
• go dead
• if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now
• knock dead
• leave for dead
• more dead than alive
• over one's dead body
• presumed dead
• return from the dead
• rise from the dead
• shoot dead
• stop dead in one's tracks
• stopped dead in my tracks
• strike (someone) dead
• the dead
• the quick and the dead

Rhymes for dead

• bed
• bled
• bread
• bred
• dread
• ed
• fed
• fled
• ged
• head
• lead
• led

Kids Definition

dead

1 of 3 adjective

ˈded 

1

: deprived of life : no longer alive

2

a

: having the appearance of death : deathly

in a dead faint

b

: numb entry 1 sense 1

c

: very tired

the trip was really tiring; I'm dead

d

: not reacting : insensitive

dead to pity

e

: burned out : grown cold

dead coals

3

a

: not naturally having life : inanimate

dead matter

b

: no longer producing or functioning

dead battery

4

a

: no longer in use or effect : obsolete

dead language

b

: no longer active : extinct

dead volcano

c

: not lively

a dead party

d

: lacking in commercial activity : quiet

e

: lacking spring

dead tennis ball

f

: being out of action or out of use

a dead telephone line

g

: being out of play

a dead ball

5

: not running or circulating : stagnant

dead air

6

a

: absolutely uniform

the dead level of the prairie

b

: unerring, exact

a dead shot

dead center of the target

c

: being sudden and complete

a dead stop

deadness noun

dead

2 of 3 noun

plural dead

1

plural : those that are dead

the living and the dead

2

: the time of greatest quiet or least activity

dead of night

dead of winter

dead

3 of 3 adverb

1

: to the highest degree

dead right

2

: suddenly and completely

stopped dead

3

: straight entry 2

dead ahead

Medical Definition

dead

1 of 2 adjective

ˈded 

1

: deprived of life : having died

dead of scarlet fever

2

: lacking power to move, feel, or respond : numb

dead

2 of 2 noun

plural dead

: one that is dead

—usually used collectively