1
: deprived of life : no longer alive
a dead tree
dead soldiers
missing and presumed dead
2
b
: very tired
Our legs were completely dead after the hike.
c(1)
: incapable of being stirred emotionally or intellectually : unresponsive
a heart dead to pity
felt dead inside
(2)
: grown cold : extinguished
dead coals
3
4
a(1)
: lacking power or effect
a dead law
(2)
: no longer having interest, relevance, or significance
a dead issue
b
: no longer in use : obsolete
a dead language
c
: no longer active : extinct
a dead volcano
d
: lacking in gaiety or animation
a dead party
e(1)
: lacking in commercial activity : quiet
The city is dead after five o'clock.
(2)
: commercially idle or unproductive
dead capital
f
: lacking elasticity (see elasticity sense 1a)
a dead tennis ball
g
: being out of action or out of use
The phone went dead.
specifically, electrical engineering
: free from any connection to a source of voltage and free from electric charges
a dead electrical circuit
h(1)
sports and games
: being out of play
a dead ball
(2)
croquet
: temporarily forbidden to play or to make a certain play
5
a
: not running or circulating : stagnant
dead water
b
: not turning
the dead center of a lathe
c
mechanical engineering
: not imparting motion or power although otherwise functioning
a dead rear axle
d
: lacking warmth, vigor, or taste
The fire was dead.
a dead wine
6
a
: absolutely uniform
a dead level of mediocrity
b(1)
: unerring
a dead shot with a rifle
(2)
: exact
dead center of the target
(3)
: certain to be doomed
he's dead if he's late for curfew
(4)
: irrevocable
a dead loss
c
: abrupt
brought to a dead stop
7
: devoid of former occupants
dead villages
deadness
noun
plural dead
1
: someone who is no longer alive : one that is dead (see dead entry 1 sense 1)
—usually used collectively
They were among the dead.
2
: the state of being dead
raised him from the dead—
Colossians 2:12 (Revised Standard Version)
Colossians 2:12 (Revised Standard Version)3
: the time of greatest quiet
the dead of night
1
: absolutely, utterly
dead certain
finished dead last
The room became dead quiet.—Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat2
: suddenly and completely
stopped dead in his tracks
3
: directly
dead ahead
Phrases
dead in the water
1
: incapable of being effective : stalled
peace talks were dead in the water
2
: as good as dead : doomed
most books are dead in the water long before their publication—Phillip Lopate
Phillip Lopate
: with no chance of escape or excuse : red-handed
had him dead to rights for the robbery
: only by overcoming one's utter and determined resistance
vows that they'll raise his taxes over his dead body
Synonyms
Examples of dead in a Sentence
Adjective
Her husband is dead. He died last year.
He was found dead in his apartment yesterday.
He lay dead on the floor.
The lost mountain climbers were believed dead.
The poster said that the robbers were wanted dead or alive.
Our legs were completely dead after hiking all day.
I'm dead if I come in late for work again.
If I ever get my hands on you, you're dead!
Noun
By the end of the war, there were over two million dead.
He began his journey in the dead of winter.
Adverb
She's dead certain that she can finish the job.
We were dead tired by the end of the day.
He's not joking. In fact, he's dead serious.
They were both dead drunk and passed out on the floor.
She finished the race dead last.
Recent Examples on the WebShira Rubin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The Israeli prime minister’s office said Wednesday that of the 129 hostages from the October 7 attack currently held, 33 are dead.
—Alex Marquardt, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
When Covington police arrived at the shooting scene on Russell Street, Lopez was already dead behind the wheel and his vehicle was riddled with bullets, according to a criminal complaint.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
The driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, suffered massive injuries that made her identification difficult.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
However, the man was later pronounced dead at the scene.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
About 130 hostages remain unaccounted for, with some known to be dead.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Some of the birds were already dead; others showed neurological symptoms and were euthanized.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Given the lack of consensus between the houses, the bill appeared to be dead heading into the final day of the session.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Police found a missing 8-year-old dead in a Janesville home on Saturday night.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024
In its parched acres are said to be some of the uncounted and unknown dead from the 1928 St. Francis dam collapse, many of them Latino workers and their families.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
That review found that at least 43 of the 100 victims on the official list of Lahaina’s dead lived in Kuhua Camp — more than in any other neighborhood.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2024
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the 13 dead included four women and four children.
—Fares Akram, Anchorage Daily News, 9 May 2023
War and loss and Baba Yaga and the voices of the old dead are always haunting us.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Some have pushed local school and city officials to improve campus safety measures, while other parents have sought to honor their dead by pushing for gun-control measures in Austin and Washington.
—Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024
Burials also reveal the range of ways in which humans lay their dead to rest.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Texas town devastated by tornado, 5 dead across South from severe weather
In Garden City, Kansas, another Sunday tornado reportedly damaged a power line, roofs and fences.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Soon, a colleague ends up dead and Hannah begins to put together the puzzle of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
From politicians to militia leaders, many who cross Putin end up dead — often poisoned or blown up in airplanes or by car bombs.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024
Kansas ranks dead last in the Big 12 in made 3s per game.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2024
After a spooky séance reveals that the party host's deceased daughter was, in fact, murdered, another guest ends up dead later that night, prompting Poirot to investigate.
—Ilana Gordon, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2024
Perhaps relatedly, the Clippers are allowing second-chance points in clutch scenarios at the league’s second-worst rate, and rank dead last in points in the paint allowed.
—Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The indifference of Russian commanders to the lives of their troops was well known: Images of Russian injured and dead abandoned on roadsides and in fields were another morale-boosting meme for Ukrainians.
—James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
Adjective
None of the hostages have been seen by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Israeli authorities are starting to hedge, saying that dozens are dead and dozens are alive, but not much else.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The Israeli prime minister’s office said Wednesday that of the 129 hostages from the October 7 attack currently held, 33 are dead.
—Alex Marquardt, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
When Covington police arrived at the shooting scene on Russell Street, Lopez was already dead behind the wheel and his vehicle was riddled with bullets, according to a criminal complaint.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
The driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, suffered massive injuries that made her identification difficult.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
However, the man was later pronounced dead at the scene.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
About 130 hostages remain unaccounted for, with some known to be dead.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Some of the birds were already dead; others showed neurological symptoms and were euthanized.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Given the lack of consensus between the houses, the bill appeared to be dead heading into the final day of the session.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
Beginning in 1855 , the city’s early Jewish families buried their dead on three acres in the ravine, close to Boyle Heights, then the deep footprint of Jewish life.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Police found a missing 8-year-old dead in a Janesville home on Saturday night.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024
In its parched acres are said to be some of the uncounted and unknown dead from the 1928 St. Francis dam collapse, many of them Latino workers and their families.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
That review found that at least 43 of the 100 victims on the official list of Lahaina’s dead lived in Kuhua Camp — more than in any other neighborhood.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2024
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the 13 dead included four women and four children.
—Fares Akram, Anchorage Daily News, 9 May 2023
War and loss and Baba Yaga and the voices of the old dead are always haunting us.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Some have pushed local school and city officials to improve campus safety measures, while other parents have sought to honor their dead by pushing for gun-control measures in Austin and Washington.
—Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024
Burials also reveal the range of ways in which humans lay their dead to rest.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
Adverb
Email subject lines need to be dead honest because a misleading one is not just poor business etiquette, but also against the law in some countries.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Texas town devastated by tornado, 5 dead across South from severe weather
In Garden City, Kansas, another Sunday tornado reportedly damaged a power line, roofs and fences.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Soon, a colleague ends up dead and Hannah begins to put together the puzzle of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
From politicians to militia leaders, many who cross Putin end up dead — often poisoned or blown up in airplanes or by car bombs.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024
Kansas ranks dead last in the Big 12 in made 3s per game.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2024
After a spooky séance reveals that the party host's deceased daughter was, in fact, murdered, another guest ends up dead later that night, prompting Poirot to investigate.
—Ilana Gordon, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2024
Perhaps relatedly, the Clippers are allowing second-chance points in clutch scenarios at the league’s second-worst rate, and rank dead last in points in the paint allowed.
—Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The indifference of Russian commanders to the lives of their troops was well known: Images of Russian injured and dead abandoned on roadsides and in fields were another morale-boosting meme for Ukrainians.
—James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word '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
Etymology
Adjective, Noun, and Adverb
Middle English deed, from Old English dēad; akin to Old Norse dauthr dead, deyja to die, Old High German tōt dead — more at die
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of dead was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing dead
Dictionary Entries Near dead
Cite this Entry
“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
dead
1 of 3 adjective1
: deprived of life : no longer alive
2
a
: having the appearance of death : deathly
in a dead faint
c
: very tired
the trip was really tiring; I'm dead
d
: not reacting : insensitive
dead to pity
e
: burned out : grown cold
dead coals
3
a
: not naturally having life : inanimate
dead matter
b
: no longer producing or functioning
dead battery
4
a
: no longer in use or effect : obsolete
dead language
b
: no longer active : extinct
dead volcano
c
: not lively
a dead party
d
: lacking in commercial activity : quiet
e
: lacking spring
dead tennis ball
f
: being out of action or out of use
a dead telephone line
g
: being out of play
a dead ball
5
: not running or circulating : stagnant
dead air
deadness
noun
dead
2 of 3 noun
plural dead
1
plural
: those that are dead
the living and the dead
2
: the time of greatest quiet or least activity
dead of night
dead of winter
dead
3 of 3 adverb1
: to the highest degree
dead right
2
: suddenly and completely
stopped dead
3
: straight entry 2
dead ahead
More from Merriam-Webster on dead
Nglish: Translation of dead for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dead for Arabic Speakers
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