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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
The suspect in the attack was found dead late on Sunday, according to law enforcement. Kirk Siegler, NPR, 30 June 2025 According to Swain, first responders took 15 people to a local hospital following the stampede, and three people were later pronounced dead. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 29 June 2025
Adverb
Deputies believe the contractor hadn’t been dead long, probably within a day, by the time authorities got involved, KPRC reported. Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2025 Once securing a warrant to enter, officers found the husband and wife dead inside, Depue said. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
Into the Pigeon cave Roughly 14,700 years ago, a group of people were living and burning their dead in a cave located in what is now Morocco. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • Though some were at Hama to support downtown, many came to pay their respects to the memory of recently deceased owner Tsutomu Iyama.
    Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2025
  • The team also facilitated a guest’s purchase of nearly 4,500 pounds of rice to donate to a monastery in Bhutan, as well as a celebration-of-life remembrance ceremony in the Serengeti for another’s deceased loved one, led by Masai elders.
    Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Juicy, tender ribs are hard to beat, and cooking them low and slow is the key to achieving that irresistible fall-off-the-bone texture and deep, savory flavor.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 June 2025
  • And then there is a style that believes reading should mimic the obstruction and slow struggle of writing.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Mowing Lawns Homeowners are usually away on vacation or are probably too tired to maintain their yards.
    Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • But, in Dick’s opinion, Charlie grew tired of baseball’s daily grind.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • Remaining calm under pressure is an absolute must here.
    Bill Rokos, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • To hit the absolute reduction targets, luxury could maintain a stable volume or slightly decrease by one percent, premium could increase their volumes by 3 percent, provided circular models are scaled, and mass market brands would need to decrease their volume by 12 percent.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Human error is more likely when IT professionals are overwhelmed by alerts and false positives, causing teams to become numb to the noise.
    Travis Runty, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • Goldberg asked, questioning if Americans had grown numb to Trump’s use of pardons.
    Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • Deep-seafloor-dwelling foraminifera, which were far away from the surface and were able to keep feeding on the remains of dead organisms, were mostly fine, but nine out of 10 planktonic species went extinct.
    Tim Vernimmen, JSTOR Daily, 19 June 2025
  • Our species once coexisted for tens of thousands of years and interbred with both Denisovans and Neanderthals before the two went extinct.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Waititi never recommitted to Akira and the project has been dormant ever since.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
  • The group is currently dormant after Argent suffered a stroke last year that forced him to retire from touring, while White and Grundy have appeared only as special guests since 1997.
    Gary Graff, Billboard, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Since Israel launched its Gaza offensive in the wake of Hamas' deadly October 2023 attack, the country has faced war crimes accusations from United Nations officials and human rights groups.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
  • Days before Trump ordered the drone strike that killed him, Soleimani had orchestrated a deadly attack on a U.S. base in Iraq.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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