dead 1 of 3

adjective

ˈded How to pronounce dead (audio)
Definition of deadnext
1
as in deceased
no longer living I inherited this heirloom from my dead great-grandfather

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2
as in slow
lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation the store is often dead after 4:00 p.m.

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3
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness a long day of traveling left them just dead

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4
as in absolute
having no exceptions or restrictions there was a dead silence following that incredibly moving performance

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5
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling my foot was dead after I absentmindedly sat on it for an hour

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6
as in extinct
no longer existing the dead Babylonian culture

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7
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment local coal mines that have been dead for years

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8
as in deadly
of, relating to, or suggestive of death fell into a dead faint upon hearing the news

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9
as in doomed
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death if we don't finish this project on time, we're dead

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10
as in bland
lacking in taste or flavor from the first sip I could tell that the wine hadn't aged well and was pretty much dead

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11
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation the dead wastes of the far country to the west

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dead

2 of 3

adverb

1
as in straight
in a direct line or course the finish line is dead ahead

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2
as in completely
to a full extent or degree I'm dead certain that's the one I want

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dead

3 of 3

noun

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

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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
Police said Snelling hid her dead infant, found wrapped in a towel, inside a black trash bag in a closet. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026 Inspectors also found five to 10 dead cockroaches inside monitoring traps. — Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Adverb
The woods were dead silent except for the sound of her huffing and sniffing. — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026 That might explain why, now 16 matches into the season, Sporting entered the day dead-last in the Western Conference. — Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Noun
The entire neighborhood will sense presences and hear the distinctive sounds of their own dead. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 July 2026 Iran cannot, because the people who made so many thousands of our dead are still the people in charge, still adding to the count. — Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
  1. deceased
  2. slow
  3. tired
  4. absolute
  5. numb
  6. extinct
  7. dormant
  8. deadly
Adjective
  • Researchers behind the study, the largest ever of deceased NFL players’ brains, said the true prevalence of brain disease at death was probably higher.
    — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The rules for claiming a small stock dividend, for instance, may be different than claiming a large cash settlement or a deceased relative’s safety deposit box.
    — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceased
Adjective
  • The challenge is that the hydrogen evolution reaction is slower in alkaline environments, increasing the need for catalysts that can deliver high activity without rapidly losing performance.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • As Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet premier and promised new openness with a policy of glasnost, a slow thaw would begin toward free speech, human rights, the release of political dissidents and relaxed restrictions on emigration.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • His handicapping merited attention and newsletter sales, but Steele soon tired of tipping his own hand to the oddsmakers in Vegas.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • More and more young people are turning toward low- or no-tech lives, tired of the endless scroll most of us face for hours each day.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends and teammates during this devastating time.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends, and teammates during this devastating time.
    — Jack Moore, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of absolute
Adjective
  • Then, in late May 1986, Kontras, whose tall, athletic build discloses a lifelong dedication to good health, noticed a swelling on the left side of his back that was numb to the touch.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • There is the potential to eventually grow numb to the finances of a Premier League summer.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of numb
Adjective
  • The sounds of the terror bird (phorusrhacids) was based on a prototype, which was modeled on the larynx of an extinct terror bird species.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As the Danube waters shrank in Bulgaria, researchers were thrilled to find and recover a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other bone fragments belonging to an extinct woolly mammoth buried deep in the sand.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of extinct
Adjective
  • Former SpaceX engineers think a long-dormant nuclear reactor experiment is key to meeting the power needs of data centers.
    — Evan Halper, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Hawaii, meanwhile, rightfully earns its place thanks to its dramatic terrain, with 25 active and dormant volcanoes—the most of any state in the study—as well as 543 waterfalls and Mauna Kea, one of the tallest mountain summits in the country.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Rabies is a deadly virus that spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    — Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Tropical Storm Moke is making its closest approach to Hawaii as the state braces for its second tropical threat in less than a week after deadly Hurricane Lala tore through parts of the islands.
    — Tyler Ory, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of deadly

Phrases Containing dead

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deactivating
dead
deadbeat
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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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