deadly
Americanadjective
-
causing or tending to cause death; fatal; lethal.
a deadly poison.
-
aiming to kill or destroy; implacable.
a deadly enemy.
-
like death.
a deadly pallor.
-
excruciatingly boring.
The dinner party was absolutely deadly.
-
deadly haste.
-
extremely accurate.
Annie Oakley was a deadly shot.
adverb
-
in a manner resembling or suggesting death.
deadly pale.
-
excessively; completely.
deadly dull.
adjective
-
likely to cause death
deadly poison
deadly combat
-
informal extremely boring
adverb
Related Words
See fatal.
Other Word Forms
- deadliness noun
- nondeadly adjective
Etymology
Origin of deadly
First recorded before 900; Middle English deedli(ch), Old English dēadlīce; dead, -ly
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.
The fresh strikes come after the two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire in October following deadly cross-border clashes, though subsequent fighting has taken place.
From BBC
Two people who were part of the group escaped the "football-field sized" avalanche - the deadliest in modern California history - and authorities said they might help piece together what happened.
From BBC
Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests - the first such rallies on this scale since last month's deadly crackdown by the authorities.
From BBC
It often freezes during harsh winters and has seen a number of deadly accidents over the years.
From BBC
Headlines were made around the world earlier this week when an Amazon delivery driver followed his GPS and ended up stuck in the mud on what has been described as Britain's deadliest footpath.
From BBC
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.
