1
as in deadly
of, relating to, or suggestive of death
his deathly pallor suggested that any attempt to find a pulse would be futile
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
smallpox is one deathly disease that medical science has been able to conquer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deathly
Henry once again takes a deathly blow to his reputation, but escapes real consequences, now back living a cozy life as a lord.
—
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail.
—Outside, 8 Jan. 2026
Despite the deathly dangers of fentanyl contamination, hard drug use has been enjoying record increases in Hollywood and beyond not seen since the hard-partying ’80s.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The deathly avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3 always scared me.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025
Californians must rise and reclaim our Golden State from the deathly and devastating grip of endless bureaucratic cancer.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
For all of those thousands of collegiate Olympians past and present, the roar of the football crowd will be drowned out by the deathly silence of their shuttered programs.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2024
Gomez has co-led the Hulu series alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short since its 2021 debut, as a band of neighbors who join forces to solve deathly mysteries unfolding around them.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 17 July 2024
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail.
—Outside, 8 Jan. 2026
Despite the deathly dangers of fentanyl contamination, hard drug use has been enjoying record increases in Hollywood and beyond not seen since the hard-partying ’80s.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The deathly avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3 always scared me.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025
Californians must rise and reclaim our Golden State from the deathly and devastating grip of endless bureaucratic cancer.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
For all of those thousands of collegiate Olympians past and present, the roar of the football crowd will be drowned out by the deathly silence of their shuttered programs.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2024
Gomez has co-led the Hulu series alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short since its 2021 debut, as a band of neighbors who join forces to solve deathly mysteries unfolding around them.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 17 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deathly
Adjective
-
At least 18 people are currently under observation at two of the nation’s top medical centers after being potentially exposed to hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of the deadly outbreak.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Fifteen people jailed at Rikers died that year, the beginning of an uptick toward the deadliest annual figures in almost a decade.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Prosecutors also displayed the internet search history from Richins’ phone, which included queries about the lethal dose of fentanyl, luxury prisons and how poisoning is marked on a death certificate.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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In a letter last month, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notified federal grant recipients that the government would no longer pay for test strips and kits that help drug users see if their drugs contain highly-lethal additives.—
Mike Stobbe,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Here's how some of the fatal dangers of living in space would actually shuffle you off this mortal coil.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Every year, there’s a team that looks inevitable and turns out to be quite mortal.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Two Connecticut State Police troopers have been cleared in connection with a fatal shooting in Bozrah last August after the state Inspector General concluded that the armed woman who was shot was apparently trying to commit suicide by cop.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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The star died in 2009, at age 50, of cardiac arrest due to a fatal dose of propofol and other drugs.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Prune all dead trunks back to the ground.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
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The driver and a passenger in the Infiniti, neither of whom were wearing seat belts, were pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deathly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deathly. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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