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
In a pit below the stage was a cistern containing dead rodents. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 In 1992, when a jury acquitted the officers of the most serious charges, Los Angeles erupted in four days of riots that left 50 dead and more than 2,300 injured. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 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
  • The missing swimmer was found deceased in the water after several hours of searching.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson were both flown to a local hospital in Davos, where Lindsay was declared deceased.
    — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceased
Adjective
  • Researchers used the device to process time-series data, including signals that contained both rapid and slow changes.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2026
  • However, there is another, slower and more insidious evacuation taking place, and that is the steady migration from rural areas all around the world to burgeoning cities, which now host more than half the world’s population.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • Well, the growing season in the South is a long one, and even the best thrillers get tired, the spillers get leggy, and the fillers sometimes disappear.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Replace Cabinet Hardware New drawer pulls, cabinet knobs, and even hinges can make quite the impact on your tired old kitchen cabinets.
    — Barbara Bellesi Zito, The Spruce, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Whatever his role, Brown will have absolute importance to the 76ers this season.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Overall, this lighter, more complex, more hardcore stallion looks the absolute business.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of absolute
Adjective
  • My hand instantly went numb, the wrist and fingers falling limp and useless.
    — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026
  • As people around her begin slipping into an emotionally numb trance described as being eclipsed, the boundaries between Bego’s imagination, the digital world and physical reality begin to dissolve.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of numb
Adjective
  • Researchers at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum have identified a new extinct ice age amphibian, the spadefoot toad.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • These are religions that, at least in their original shape, have gone extinct for a good reason.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of extinct
Adjective
  • Her team has dug up living anthrax samples that may have been dormant for 80 years in previous research.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026
  • If your crepe myrtles aren’t receiving enough light, transplant them to a new growing location when the plants are dormant in winter.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Davis was charged with murder with the use of a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.
    — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Attacks on Wildberries’ warehouses last month killed at least eight people in a single day which, up until Monday’s strike on Nizhnekamsk, was the deadliest Ukrainian attack inside Russia.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 10 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 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dead

Nglish: Translation of dead for Spanish Speakers

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