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
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Recent Examples of deathly
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
The deathly gossip started as St. Patrick’s Day rumo(u)rs that the BBC was on standby for an announcement from the royal family and government buildings were flying flags at half-mast.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2024
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
The deathly gossip started as St. Patrick’s Day rumo(u)rs that the BBC was on standby for an announcement from the royal family and government buildings were flying flags at half-mast.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deathly
Adjective
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Dan Morrison Eleven different countries have asked Ukraine for help in countering Iran's deadly Shahed drones, with request for interceptors, electronic warfare systems and training, Ukrainian Presiden Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Yet Aster diagnoses them, and everyone else, with a deadly case of social media brain rot.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Boyd could not characterize the size of the knife or say whether officers had attempted less-lethal options before opening fire, though they are trained to do so depending on the incident.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Lambda-cyhalothrin, which starves insects and is lethal to honeybees, was found on cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, lettuce and broccoli.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Shuffling off this mortal coil need not occasion grief, however.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The man’s death marks Kansas City’s 24th homicide of 2026, compared to 26 at this time last year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
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According to the city's police department, the fatal accident occurred at 1990 S Flamingo Road.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The operation left dozens of people dead and dozens more wounded.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who directed the Islamic Republic’s campaign of regional terror for more than three decades, is dead.—
Andrew Ghalili,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deathly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deathly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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