lethal

[lee-thuhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or causing death; deadly; fatal: a lethal dose.

   a lethal weapon;

   a lethal dose.

2. made or carried out to cause death: a lethal attack.

   a lethal chamber;

   a lethal attack.

3. causing great harm or destruction.

   The disclosures were lethal to his candidacy.

lethal

/ liːˈθælɪtɪ, ˈliːθəl /

adjective

1. able to cause or causing death

2. of or suggestive of death

Other Word Forms

• lethality noun
• lethalness noun
• lethally adverb
• hyperlethal adjective
• nonlethal adjective
• nonlethally adverb
• semilethal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lethal¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin lētālis, equivalent to lēt(um) “death” + -ālis -al ¹; spelling (hence pronunciation) with -h- by association with Greek lḗthē “oblivion”; Lethe ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of lethal¹

C16: from Latin lēthālis, from lētum death

Synonym Study

See fatal.

Example Sentences

“A military that is sealing the border and walking the streets to fight crime is not getting ready for the lethal weapons of a great power adversary such as China or Russia.”

From Salon

Crucially, this type of lethal violence is preventable.

From Salon

They said the president invoked the tariffs not to raise revenue but to “rectify America’s country-killing trade deficits and to stem the flood of fentanyl and other lethal drugs across our borders.”

From Los Angeles Times

NSW uses a less lethal "smart" variety of drumlines which alert authorities who rush to tag and then release or relocate sharks caught on them.

From BBC

“Drug cartels must be stopped,” Reed wrote on X, “but declaring war & ordering lethal military force without Congress or public knowledge – nor legal justification – is unacceptable.”

From Salon

Related Words

• dangerous 
• destructive 
• devastating 
• fatal 
• harmful 
• malignant 
• mortal 
• murderous 
• noxious 
• pernicious 
• poisonous 
• virulent