Dead — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun adverb /ˈded/

Meaning & Definition of Dead

Dead (adjective)

  1. deprived of life, no longer alive
  2. having the appearance of death, deathly
  3. lacking power to move, feel, or respond, numb

Dead (noun)

  1. someone who is no longer alive, one that is dead —usually used collectively
  2. the state of being dead
  3. the time of greatest quiet

Dead (adverb)

  1. absolutely, utterly
  2. suddenly and completely
  3. directly

Dead (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. no longer living

    "I inherited this heirloom from my dead great-grandfather"

    similar: asleep, breathless, cold, deceased, defunct, demised, departed, fallen, gone, late, lifeless, low, bitten the dust
    related: extinct, dying, fading, moribund, stillborn, finished, lapsed, terminated, inanimate, insensate, nonliving
    opposite: alive, animate, breathing, going, live, living, quick
    near: animated, dynamic, lively, thriving, vibrant, vital, vivacious, active, functioning, operative, running

  2. lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation

    "the store is often dead after 4:00 p.m."

    similar: comatose, sleepy, slow
    related: lethargic, sluggish, torpid, dormant, fallow, free, idle, inactive, inert, inoperative, latent, off, vacant
    opposite: alive, animated, astir, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, humming, lively, thriving, vibrant
    near: abounding, overflowing, swarming, teeming, thronging

  3. depleted in strength, energy, or freshness

    "a long day of traveling left them just dead"

    similar: all in, aweary (archaic), beat, beaten, bleary, burned-out, bushed, done, drained, exhausted, fatigued, jaded, knackered (British), limp, logy, played out, pooped (slang), prostrate, spent, tapped out, tired, tuckered (out), washed-out, wearied, weary, wiped out, worn, worn-out, worn to a frazzle
    related: overfatigued, overtaxed, overworked, broken-down, run-down, debilitated, enervate, enervated, enfeebled, sapped, weakened, drowsy, heavy, sleepy, lethargic, sluggish
    opposite: unwearied
    near: fresh, refreshed, rejuvenated, relaxed, rested, revitalized, active, energetic, invigorated, peppy, strengthened, strong, tireless, vitalized, weariless

  4. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "there was a dead silence following that incredibly moving performance"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

  5. lacking in sensation or feeling

    "my foot was dead after I absentmindedly sat on it for an hour"

    similar: asleep, benumbed, insensitive, numb, numbed, torpid, unfeeling
    related: chilled, nipped, anesthetized, cocainized, deadened, drugged, stupefied, blunted, dulled, obtunded, insensible, senseless, unconscious, inanimate, insensate
    opposite: feeling, sensible, sensitive
    near: awake

  6. no longer existing

    "the dead Babylonian culture"

    similar: bygone, bypast, defunct, departed, done, expired, extinct, gone, nonextant, vanished
    related: nonexistent, dying, faded, moribund, collapsed, fallen, overthrown, antiquated, dated, obsolete, passé, finished, lapsed, terminated, lost, missing
    opposite: alive, existent, existing, extant, living
    near: active, dynamic, thriving, vibrant

  7. not being in a state of use, activity, or employment

    "local coal mines that have been dead for years"

    similar: dormant, fallow, free, idle, inactive, inert, inoperative, latent, off, unused, vacant, at rest, on the shelf, out of commission
    related: abeyant, arrested, interrupted, suspended, unoccupied, asleep, comatose, lifeless, moribund, quiescent, sleepy, inoperable, unusable, unworkable, useless, dull, slow
    opposite: active, alive, busy, employed, functioning, going, living, on, operating, operative, running, working
    near: functional, operable, operational, workable, assiduous, industrious, sedulous, energetic, vigorous, feasible, practical, usable, useful, viable

  8. of, relating to, or suggestive of death

    "fell into a dead faint upon hearing the news"

    similar: deadly, deathly, mortal, mortuary
    related: cadaverous, ghostlike, ghostly, phantom, spectral, inactive, inert, inoperative, lifeless, quiescent, still, macabre, baleful, fatal, fateful, fell, killer, lethal, murderous, pestilent
    near: active, alive, animate, breathing, live, living, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, pert, racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vigorous, vital, vivacious, zippy, able-bodied, chipper, fit, hale, healthy, hearty, robust, sound, well, whole, wholesome

  9. facing certain defeat, disaster, or death

    "if we don't finish this project on time, we're dead"

    similar: done, done for, doomed, finished, kaput, ruined, sunk
    related: endangered, imperiled

  10. lacking in taste or flavor

    "from the first sip I could tell that the wine hadn't aged well and was pretty much dead"

    similar: flat, flavorless, insipid, savorless, tasteless, unsavory
    related: bland, dilute, thin, watery, weak, plain, unflavored
    opposite: flavorful, flavorsome, sapid, savory, tasteful, tasty
    near: disgusting, distasteful, loathsome, sickening, unappetizing, unpalatable, cloying, mawkish, appetizing, delectable, delicious, palatable, toothsome, keen, piquant, seasoned, spicy, flavored, heavy, rich

  11. producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation

    "the dead wastes of the far country to the west"

    similar: barren, bony, desolate, hardscrabble, impoverished, infertile, poor, stark, unfertile, unproductive, waste
    related: bleak, inhospitable, lifeless, uncultivable, untillable, bankrupted, consumed, debilitated, depleted, diminished, drained, dried-up, enfeebled, exhausted, expended, lessened, reduced, spent, used up, arid, desert, droughty, dry, rainless, sere, thirsty, waterless, baked, dehydrated, parched, sunbaked
    opposite: fertile, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, rich
    near: arable, tillable, green, sylvan, verdant

Dead (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in a direct line or course

    "the finish line is dead ahead"

    similar: direct, directly, due, plumb, plump, right, straight, straightway, as the crow flies
    opposite: indirectly
    near: circuitously, deviously, veeringly

  2. to a full extent or degree

    "I'm dead certain that's the one I want"

    similar: all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide, all the way, at length, down the line, down to the ground, for fair, in whole, to bits, to pieces, to the hilt, to the max
    related: absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially, abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly
    opposite: half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly
    near: barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat

Dead (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the state of being dead

    "it's impossible to raise someone from the dead"

    similar: deadness, death, grave, lifelessness, nothingness, sleep
    related: mortality
    opposite: existence, life
    near: immortality, lifespan, lifetime

Related Entry: Dead-end (verb)

Dead-end is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead-end, not for dead.

  1. to come to an end

    "after several fruitless years, the research seems to have simply dead-ended"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

Related Entry: Dead heat (noun)

Dead heat is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead heat, not for dead.

  1. a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other

    "the horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat"

    similar: draw, stalemate, standoff, tie
    related: deadlock, impasse, seesaw, photo finish, horse race, toss-up

Related Entry: Dead-on (adjective)

Dead-on is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead-on, not for dead.

  1. being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard

    "a stand-up comedian known for her dead-on impressions of various divas of stage and screen"

    similar: accurate, bang on (chiefly British), correct, exact, good, on-target, precise, proper, right, so, spot-on, true, veracious, on target, on the money
    related: legitimate, logical, sound, valid, errorless, faultless, flawless, impeccable, inerrant, infallible, letter-perfect, perfect, rigorous, strict, stringent
    opposite: false, improper, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, off, untrue, wrong
    near: defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect

Related Entry: Dead end (noun)

Dead end is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead end, not for dead.

  1. as in close, cul-de-sac

    similar: close (chiefly British), cul-de-sac, arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway (British), drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, thoroughfare, thruway, trace, turnpike, way, causeway, backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, secondary road, shunpike, side road, side street, alley, alleyway, circle, lane, laneway (British), mews (chiefly British), place, corridor, track, trail

  2. as in problem, Mexican standoff

    similar: bind, bottleneck, corner, dilemma, fix, hole, jam, morass, pickle, pinch, plight, predicament, quagmire, quandary, spot, deadlock, gridlock, halt, impasse, logjam, Mexican standoff, stalemate, standoff, standstill, problem, difficulty

Related Entry: Dead ends (noun)

Dead ends is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead ends, not for dead.

  1. as in closes, cul-de-sacs

    similar: closes (chiefly British), cul-de-sacs, arterials, arteries, avenues, boulevards, carriageways (British), drags, drives, expressways, freeways, high roads, highways, passes, pike, roads, roadways, routes, rows, thoroughfares, thruways, traces, turnpikes, ways, causeways, backstreets, branches, bystreets, byways, crossroads, secondary roads, shunpikes, side roads, side streets, alleys, alleyways, circles, lanes, laneways (British), mews (chiefly British), places, corridors, tracks, trails

  2. as in problems, Mexican standoffs

    similar: binds, bottlenecks, corners, dilemmas, fixes, holes, jams, morasses, pickles, pinches, plights, predicaments, quagmires, quandaries, spots, deadlocks, gridlocks, halts, impasses, logjams, Mexican standoffs, stalemates, standoffs, standstills, problems, difficulties

Related Entry: Dead metaphor (noun)

Dead metaphor is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead metaphor, not for dead.

  1. as in analogy, code word

    similar: analogy, circumlocution, code word, crank, euphemism, simile, conceit, metaphor, device, catachresis, mixed metaphor

Related Entry: Dead metaphors (noun)

Dead metaphors is a different word from Dead. The synonyms below are for dead metaphors, not for dead.

  1. as in analogies, code words

    similar: analogies, circumlocutions, code words, cranks, euphemisms, similes, conceits, metaphors, devices, catachreses, mixed metaphors

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dead

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dead:

Archaic: aweary
British: knackered
Slang: pooped
Chiefly British: blooming
Southern & Midland: bodacious
Chiefly dialect: plumb
asleep, breathless, cold, deceased, defunct, demised, departed, fallen, gone, late, lifeless, low, comatose, sleepy, slow, all in, beat, beaten, bleary, burned-out, bushed, done, drained, exhausted, fatigued, jaded, limp, logy, played out, prostrate, spent, tapped out, tired, tuckered (out), washed-out, wearied, weary, wiped out, worn, worn-out

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dead

Words with the opposite meaning of Dead:

alive, animate, breathing, going, live, living, quick, animated, astir, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, humming, lively, thriving, vibrant, unwearied, feeling, sensible, sensitive, existent, existing, extant, active, employed, functioning, on, operating, operative

Related Words for Dead

dying, fading, moribund, stillborn, lapsed, terminated, inanimate, insensate, nonliving, lethargic, sluggish, overfatigued, overtaxed, overworked, broken-down, run-down, debilitated, enervate, enervated, enfeebled, sapped, weakened, drowsy, heavy, authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant

Near Antonyms of Dead

dynamic, vital, vivacious, abounding, overflowing, swarming, teeming, thronging, fresh, refreshed, rejuvenated, relaxed, rested, revitalized, energetic, invigorated, peppy, strengthened, strong, tireless, vitalized, weariless, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain, awake

Word Forms of Dead

Derived words: deadness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Dead

Middle English deed, from Old English dēad; akin to Old Norse dauthr dead, deyja to die, Old High German tōt dead die

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Dead

Words & Phrases Containing Dead

dead air, dead-air space, dead bolt, dead-cat bounce, dead duck, dead-end

Frequently Asked Questions about Dead

What does "Dead" mean?

"Dead" means deprived of life, no longer alive. As an an adjective, a noun and an adverb, it is defined as: deprived of life, no longer alive. It has 14 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dead"?

Other words for "Dead" include asleep, breathless, cold, deceased, defunct, demised, departed and fallen. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dead" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dead"?

There are 345 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dead". Common alternatives include asleep, breathless, cold, deceased, defunct, demised, departed, fallen, gone and late.

What is the opposite of "Dead"?

Antonyms of "Dead" include alive, animate, breathing, going, live, living, quick and animated. Near antonyms include dynamic, vital, vivacious and abounding.

How do you use "Dead" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dead" in a sentence: "I inherited this heirloom from my dead great-grandfather"; "the store is often dead after 4:00 p.m."; "a long day of traveling left them just dead".

Is "Dead" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dead" can be used as an adjective, a noun and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Dead" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Dead" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Dead"?

"Dead" is pronounced /ˈded/.