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
• lethally adverb
• lethalness noun
• 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

The U.S. military may just be the world’s most lethal investing club, and it’s killing it in this bull market.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Euthanasia - when a lethal drug is administered by a physician to deliberately end a person's life to relieve suffering - is illegal in Switzerland.

Read more on BBC

“Hamnet” works so tirelessly to affect its audience that it sacrifices a lethal amount of story and character depth, all in service of shuffling the viewer to its grand finale.

Read more on Salon

Human rights groups and former military lawyers warn the decision could set a precedent for unchecked lethal force far beyond U.S. borders.

Read more on Salon

Fittingly, the Clipse opened their set with the menacing “Chains and Whips,” which is jam packed with lethal, high-level bars about why contemporary rappers simply can’t sit with them.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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