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
-
These rules had been tightened since 2020, when relations soured following a deadly border skirmish in the Galwan Valley, where several Indian and Chinese soldiers died.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Simple precautions — avoiding unattended charging, unplugging when full, and keeping larger devices away from exits — can prevent deadly battery fires.—
Fedor Zarkhin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in 2014 with a syringe in his arm and a lethal combination of heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamine in his system.—
Jack Hannah,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The judge had ordered that the curtains to the official witness room be opened earlier during a lethal injection, allowing witnesses to observe the inmate being secured with restraints to a gurney and the IV insertion process itself.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Divine Dancers duology comes to a close as immortal celestial dancer Meneka attempts to hide from her divine fate with mortal sage Kaushika, with whom seduction turned to genuine love.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
These are things that are beyond our mortal comprehension, but that are maybe coming in the near-future.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But, really, this did feel like a night when those play-off hopes were dealt a potentially fatal blow.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease causing fever, respiratory symptoms and a characteristic rash and can sometimes have severe or fatal complications, especially in young children, according to WHO.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His reelection in 2025 sparked widespread protests that left at least four people dead, signaling growing tensions between the mostly young population and its aging leader.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Andrej Stojaković’s putback attempt rolled around the rim before coming to a dead stop on the back of the basket as everyone in the massive football stadium held their breath and waited for gravity to make a call.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deathly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deathly. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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