adjective
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deadly
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resembling death
a deathly quiet
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of deathly
before 1000; Middle English dethlich, Old English dēathlīc. See death, -ly
Explanation
Something that's deathly reminds you of death. If you dress up as a ghost for Halloween, the makeup on your cheeks might turn your face a deathy shade of gray. A spooky silence can be described as deathly silent, and an unhealthy skin color is often called a deathly pallor. When you shiver, your friend might take your hand and say, "You have a deathly chill." An older meaning of deathly, used especially in literature, was "causing death." The Old English root word is deaþlic, "mortal."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lawren Babek had three cats when she went on a first date in 2008 with a man who said he was deathly allergic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026
The atmosphere among those who came to mourn the tragedy was deathly quiet.
From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026
When Charlie Hopkins thinks back to the three years he spent in one of America's most famous prisons, he remembers the "deathly quiet" the most.
From BBC • May 10, 2025
It is a game involving the hottest league in America, yet the atmosphere on Figueroa is deathly cold.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024
I wondered if I could suddenly get deathly sick, if I concentrated.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
