dead 1 of 3

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
as in doomed
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death if we don't finish this project on time, we're dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

10
11

dead

2 of 3

adverb

dead

3 of 3

noun

as in death
the state of being dead it's impossible to raise someone from the dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dead contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dead are deceased, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How does the word deceased relate to other synonyms for dead?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When is it sensible to use defunct instead of dead?

The words defunct and dead are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

Where would departed be a reasonable alternative to dead?

The synonyms departed and dead are sometimes interchangeable, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When might late be a better fit than dead?

Although the words late and dead have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dead
Adjective
Two teen brothers who went missing during a duck hunting trip in rural Northern California earlier this month are now feared dead. Danielle Jennings, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024 The grandmother, in the back seat, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the Jeep and his wife, both 62 from Clarkston, were taken to a hospital by paramedics. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 31 Dec. 2024
Adverb
The Sun Devils, picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 in preseason polling, got the big day started with a statement win and claimed their first conference crown since 2007, when ASU was in the Pac-10 Conference. Kevin Dotson, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024 Arizona State University — picked in the preseason conference poll to finish dead last — is favored to win Saturday's Big 12 Championship Game. Jessica Boehm, Axios, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
The supply of unclaimed dead helped bring in about $2.5 million a year from outside groups, according to financial records. Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024 Advertisement California Cyclist dies after being hit by two vehicles in L.A. Police search for drivers who fled the scene Sept. 20, 2024 Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the crash and pronounced the minor dead at the scene, according to the LAPD. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dead 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • Editors’ Picks 6 Relationship Resolutions for the New Year Mr. Toon grew up with an older brother and two younger sisters and their parents, who are now deceased, in Leicester, England.
    Tammy LaGorce, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
  • She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased from her injuries, police said.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The commission’s slow start is illustrated by its handling of two complaints filed in May against state Rep. Emily O’Brien.
    Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Just unhitch the Flow, grab your iPad, and steer it like a giant, slow RC car into the perfect spot.
    Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In Germany in the early 1930s, many people were tired of violence, uncertainty, and a failing economy and hoped that a strong leader would heed their concerns and come up with new and effective solutions to bring better and calmer days.
    Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
  • People are tired of prescribed approaches to their work.
    Glenn Llopis, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • No other sport gets the type of passion and the type of excitement and the type of absolute and complete dedication.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The second required only one completion, an absolute laser over the middle to DJ Moore for 27 yards to set up Cairo Santos’ game-tying 48-yard field goal as time expired.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The next day, the 34-year-old mom’s left arm went numb and started tingling.
    Wendy Grossman Kantor, People.com, 25 Dec. 2024
  • Although the mercury hovered at only 5°, all of us became so absorbed in the rabbit chase that no one noticed numb toes and cold ears.
    Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • By the thirteenth century, Vajrayana was close to extinct in its own birthplace, and Tibet, the ex-satellite, had become the new center.
    Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Stewart and Yeun play a curious buoy and a helpful satellite learning about Earth, humanity and life itself, long after humans have gone extinct.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Excessive watering of a dormant bulb is harmful and may cause the bulb to rot.
    Janet Carson, arkansasonline.com, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Taggers have marked up what appears to be more than 25 stories of a downtown Los Angeles skyscraper that’s been sitting dormant for several years.
    Times Photography Staff, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • In August, the main global body analyzing food crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification's Famine Review Committee (FRC), warned that mass famine in Sudan fueled by the conflict could be on track to become the deadliest famine in over a decade.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
  • These dynamics are common in abusive relationships that turn deadly, experts say.
    Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near dead

Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dead

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!