1
as in deceased
no longer living
I inherited this heirloom from my dead great-grandfather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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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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as in death
the state of being dead
it's impossible to raise someone from the dead
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dead
Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
For decades, scientists have considered the moon a dead world—a silent, unchanging landscape where nothing stirs.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Las Vegas also allowed the seventh-most points in the NFL last year and ranked dead last in pass coverage, per PFF.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps, searchers have found 16 bodies since Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of dead there to 59, including 21 children, said Sheriff Larry Leitha.
—Jim Vertuno, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead
Adjective
Two years ago, a director of the club, Simon Needham, was found dead.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
For decades, scientists have considered the moon a dead world—a silent, unchanging landscape where nothing stirs.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
Adverb
But Hsiao-Lee especially keeps clear of her father, Chiang (Roy Chiu), an auto mechanic who stumbles into the apartment dead drunk after work, ready to start a fight or possibly do much worse.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Las Vegas also allowed the seventh-most points in the NFL last year and ranked dead last in pass coverage, per PFF.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Young Bucks hit the TK Driver to Swerve on the outside, leaving Ospreay dead to rights.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps, searchers have found 16 bodies since Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of dead there to 59, including 21 children, said Sheriff Larry Leitha.
—Jim Vertuno, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
-
Researchers from the Center for Whale Research, SeaDoc Society and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance confirmed the female calf was deceased, with its umbilical cord still attached when spotted in Rosario Strait near the San Juan Islands.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Prosecutors had tried pointing to two cases – the 1994 shooting of a van full of Hasidic yeshiva students on the Brooklyn Bridge, and the 1997 shooting from the observation deck of the Empire State Building – as terroristic acts that ended with just one deceased victim.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
During the prelims in Tokyo, Seville had a concerning slow reaction to the starting gun.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Parisian servers may have an undeserved reputation for being slow, but instead of complaining or searching for faster service elsewhere, settle in with a book or newspaper.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Reed got her first gig at Cataloochee at the age of 19 in 1996 and has never tired of the work.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Manning’s inefficiency was on full display, and the Longhorns faithful grew tired of it during the first half.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The first monthly jobs report released since McEntarfer’s ousting, the June jobs report, which initially reported a gain of 147,000 jobs, has now been revised downward to just 14,000 jobs in the July revision and now an absolute decrease of 13,000 jobs in the August revision.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
These genius finds are absolute miracle workers that not only cut down prep time and save space, but also make cooking a breeze.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Having weathered so many punches heretofore, the viewer is more likely to be numb than moved.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
During Covid, the world felt numb and dystopian.—
Kim Gordon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Rochín-Bañaga, who was not involved in the new research, has used the method to analyze ancient corals and belemnites, an extinct order of squidlike cephalopods.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Paleoanthropologists have once again sparked a debate after suggesting that a long-extinct human relative may have buried its dead more than 120,000 years before modern humans started funerary practices.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Often when faced with a trauma, a redwood will swell a bank of dormant buds and woody tissue to create burls.—
Greg Sullivan,
AFAR Media,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Note that plants go dormant in areas that experience hard freezes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Last week's deadly shooting also heightens concerns of university safety protocols and security at public events.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The mid-air collision sent both aircraft hurtling into the Potomac River and left no survivors, becoming the deadliest airline crash in the country since 2001.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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