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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dead

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adverb

dead

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noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
First responders pulled Boutwell out of the car and realized another person was dead under the vehicle, according to the sheriff, who added that the person who shot Boutwell is responsible for Jones’ death as well. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025 The names of the man and woman found dead inside of the home have not been released. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2025
Adverb
Entering last season, the Tigers had averaged about a ninth-place finish in punt return yards since joining the SEC in 2012, including 2023, when Mizzou finished dead last. Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025 With the Chicago Blackhawks dead last in the standings, general manager Kyle Davidson will likely spend more time over the next months evaluating draft prospects and taking calls leading up to the March 7 deadline. Scott Powers, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Russia’s Tass news agency earlier said the Russian dead included at least two children, citing the country’s consul in Hurghada. Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025 Collecting the bodies For nearly three days, corpses littered the streets of Pine village, after villagers said fighters forbade them from collecting their dead, according to three of the locals CNN spoke to. Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • Attendees wore clothes honoring deceased children like Pamela Butler, Angel Hooper, and LeGend Taliferro, paying tribute and wiping tears away during the ceremony.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025
  • In a Facebook update posted on May 13, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office identified the three deceased victims as Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, of Renton; Tim Nguyen, 63, of Renton; and Oleksander Martynenko, 36, of Bellevue.
    Sam Gillette, People.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • France One of my upcoming podcast guests, Mary Alice Duff, decided to swap the hustle of life in Philadelphia for the slower pace of southern France.
    Cepee Tabibian, CNBC, 18 May 2025
  • Combs Grows Frustrated Combs was animated during Ventura’s cross-examination, appearing somewhat frustrated with the tedious, slow pace that his attorney was taking when quizzing Ventura.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Some victims are already tired of fighting this fight.
    Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
  • At the end of the tour, people were tired, so most people ended up returning to the hotel and getting lunch afterwards.
    Janet B. Carson, Arkansas Online, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • The layers of fealty, love and the grinding terror of war are absolute perfection.
    Caitlin Starling, People.com, 19 May 2025
  • The company’s long-term target is to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050, based on a 2022 baseline.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • Pay no heed to the aches in your body, the growing fear that your numb fingers and toes may never be able to feel sensations again: look up and thank the man with your gaze.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 13 May 2025
  • An example is lidocaine, used to numb pain during medical procedures.
    Rebecca Robbins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • An international team of researchers has found that these creatures would stalk and hunt in the Caribbean islands millions of years after similar predators went extinct on the South American mainland.
    Ashley Belanger – May 16, ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
  • Five years ago, alula, a beautiful plant found only on coastal cliff habitats on Kauai and Niihau, Hawaii, was declared extinct in the wild.
    Megan Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Take a cutting a few inches long with several leaves to include a node (that brown bumpy thing which is a dormant growing point where the stem meets the leaf).
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 9 May 2025
  • Shingles develops in people who have previously had chicken pox, a virus that remains dormant in the body after acute infections clear up and can be reactivated later in life.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Russia is making steady gains in Ukraine, and Putin is preparing a summer offensive that could be the deadliest of the war so far, an expert has assessed.
    Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • Drone video shows tornadoes' damage in Kentucky morning after deadly storms 01:30 4.
    Jade Walker, CNN Money, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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