: sensationally striking, attractive, or impressive
a drop-dead evening gown
drop-dead adverb

Examples of drop-dead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The city clerk said her drop-dead deadline would be the June 26 council meeting. Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 That places cities around the state into three buckets: On time: Cities that had their housing plans certified prior to a drop-dead deadline — which vary across the state — have another three years to make any necessary zoning changes. Ben Christopher, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024 Once upon a time, Alfa Romeo was Ferrari before there really was a Ferrari, building Grand Prix-winning race cars and drop-dead gorgeous road cars. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 27 Nov. 2023 And that’s exactly why the drop-dead gorgeous oceanfront destinations of Honolulu and Santa Barbara make the perfect 2024 fit. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2023 This one with Jonathan Adler included a drop-dead answer about a maroon and gray kitchen. Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 Mountain Top Cozy Log Cabin: North Carolina, United States Find more solitude at this drop-dead gorgeous log cabin in the middle of the forest in North Carolina. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2023 Cap's on the Water, St. Augustine: Another high-end eatery with drop-dead gorgeous views, Cap's on the Water is located between Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine. Kara Franker, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2023 According to the bill, the pause on student loans ends 60 days after June 30, making Aug. 29 the drop-dead date with payments due in September. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 7 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drop-dead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drop-dead was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near drop-dead

Cite this Entry

“Drop-dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop-dead. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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