Synonyms

lethal

American

[lee-thuhl] / ˈli θəl /

adjective

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

a lethal weapon;
a lethal dose.
made or carried out to cause death: a lethal attack.

a lethal chamber;
a lethal attack.
causing great harm or destruction.

The disclosures were lethal to his candidacy.

lethal British

/ liːˈθælɪtɪ, ˈliːθəl /

adjective

able to cause or causing death
of or suggestive of death

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See fatal.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of lethal

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. )

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.

Good thrillers need a villain that is elusive, relentless and lethal.

From The Wall Street Journal

What starts as a parasite quickly turns into something far more lethal, emerging in stages the crew can’t anticipate — including one of the most famous and shocking scenes in movie history.

From Los Angeles Times

Just as importantly, the Volunteers often turn over the ball and struggle to generate turnovers—a potentially lethal combination.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bear’s eyes burn with the lethal fire of the Otherworld – the demon fire.

From Literature

The lethal drug that will be used is yet to be agreed, but the bill says it must be self-administered.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023