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
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
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
While attempting to return to their present, a cryptic force emerges and traps them on a strange plot of land, giving them a deathly ultimatum in order to escape.
—Caroline Brew, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
The chill of her announcement is accentuated by Muhly’s orchestration, in which bass clarinet, contrabassoon, harp, and cello perform a deathly turn from E major to G minor.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
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
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
While attempting to return to their present, a cryptic force emerges and traps them on a strange plot of land, giving them a deathly ultimatum in order to escape.
—Caroline Brew, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
The chill of her announcement is accentuated by Muhly’s orchestration, in which bass clarinet, contrabassoon, harp, and cello perform a deathly turn from E major to G minor.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deathly
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
25 June 2025
-
Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.—
Kathy Baughman McLeod,
Time,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately, some of the OG cast have shuffled off this mortal coil, including Bob Barker and Carl Weathers.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Lives that simply march towards a mortal end are not ready for the mysterious Joanne (television actor Shakina), a trans woman bursting onto the scene who seems to know a lot about the group’s past, known 20 years ago to the group as Joe.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S. Advertisement Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
5 July 2025
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Most had gone to sleep by the time of the fatal brawl.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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The suspect in the attack was found dead late on Sunday, according to law enforcement.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
30 June 2025
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Topline Authorities reportedly identified the man suspected of killing two firefighters and injuring another in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—after he was found dead next to the sniper rifle believed to be used to ambush firefighters responding to a wildfire.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deathly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deathly. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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