dead

DED/dɛd/

37 meanings of dead

1
having diedadjective
No longer living, after life has ended.
Like a candle after the flame goes out: it cannot light again.
The old oak tree in the yard has been dead for years.
They found a dead bird on the porch this morning.
UsageSay she died in 2010, or she is dead now (not ~~incorrect: she is died~~).
Similardeceased, lifeless, departed
Oppositealive, living
2
noununcountablewith the
People who have died, thought of as a group.
People came to honor the dead after the war.
In many cultures, families remember the dead each year.
UsageUse the dead with a plural verb: the dead are remembered.
Similardeceased, departed
Oppositeliving
Note
3
out of chargeadjective
Not working, or with no power left, like a flat battery or a broken machine.
Like a toy that stops moving when its batteries run out.
My phone went dead before I could call for help.
The flashlight is dead, so I need new batteries.
UsageSay your phone went dead or the battery is dead.
Similarflat, drained
Oppositecharged, live, working
4
absolutelyadverbcolloquial
Very or completely, as in 'dead easy' or 'dead tired'.
I'm dead tired after that long shift.
She was dead serious about quitting her job.
Similarcompletely, totally, really, perfectly, absolutely
Note
5
adjective
Dull and without energy, or very quiet with few people around, as in 'the town is dead at night'.
Like a street with no people, cars, or sound.
The restaurant was dead, with only two tables full all night.
The party was dead until the music finally started.
Similarlifeless, flat, dull, lackluster, listless
Oppositelively, vibrant, energetic
Note
6
doomedadjective
Sure to die soon, or in very big trouble.
If the boss finds out, you're dead.
With the cat between it and the hole, the mouse knew it was dead.
UsageSay you're dead to mean someone is in big trouble.
Similardoomed, finished, done
Oppositesafe
7
no longer usedadjective
Not used or needed any more, or gone and part of the past.
Like an old key that no longer opens any door.
That phone number is dead now, so nobody answers it.
The form links to a dead web address.
UsageSay a dead link or a dead phone number.
Similardefunct, obsolete, inactive
Oppositeactive, live, working
Note

Less common meanings

8
directlyadverbcolloquial
Exactly, with no error at all.
Like hitting the very center of a dartboard.
The arrow landed dead in the middle of the target.
The town is dead ahead, just past the hill.
Similarexactly, due, directly, precisely
9
adjective
Exact and precise, right on the mark.
The two runners finished in a dead heat.
Aim for the dead center of the target.
UsageSay a dead heat when a race ends in a tie.
Similarexact, precise
10
utter (silence)adjective
Complete and total, with no motion or sound at all.
Like the still air just before a big storm.
The room fell into dead silence when she walked in.
A dead calm settled over the lake at dawn.
UsageSay dead silence or a dead stop.
Similarcomplete, total, utter, absolute
Note
11
abruptlyadverb
All at once and completely, with no warning.
Like slamming the brakes and stopping all at once.
The engine cut out and the truck stopped dead.
He froze dead in his tracks when he heard the noise.
UsageSay stop dead, meaning stop suddenly.
Similarabruptly, suddenly
Oppositegradually
12
deepest pointnoununcountablewith the
The middle of a period when cold, dark, or quiet is strongest.
They traveled through the dead of night to avoid the heat.
The pipes froze in the dead of winter.
UsageSay in the dead of night or in the dead of winter.
Similarmiddle, depth
13
adjectivecolloquial
Very, very tired, often after working hard or not sleeping enough.
Like a phone with no battery left.
I worked all day at the store, and now I'm dead.
We were dead on our feet after the long hike.
UsageSay I'm dead to mean very tired; dead tired is clearer.
Similarexhausted, beat, shattered, drained
Oppositerested, fresh, energetic
14
overcome by laughteradjectiveslang
An informal way of saying you are laughing too hard, or are so shocked or embarrassed you can't cope.
Like laughing so hard that your stomach starts to hurt.
That joke had me dead for a solid minute.
We were all dead when she tripped and blamed the cat.
UsageSay I'm dead when something is very funny.
Note
15
shunnedadjective
Treated as if not there, because of being hated or rejected.
Like pretending someone does not exist anymore.
After the betrayal, he was dead to his whole family.
Once you cross her, you're dead to her for good.
UsageSay you're dead to me.
Note
16
flat (tone)adjective
Showing no feeling at all, so it seems flat and cold.
Like a face that shows nothing, the way a blank wall does.
His voice was dead as he read out the verdict.
She stared back at me with dead eyes.
UsageOften a dead voice or dead eyes.
Similarflat, expressionless, impassive, blank, emotionless
Oppositeanimated, expressive
17
pins and needlesadjective
Feeling numb, with a tingling like pins and needles.
Like the tingly feeling when your foot falls asleep.
My foot went dead after sitting cross-legged too long.
My foot went dead after I sat on it too long.
UsageSay your arm or leg went dead.
Similarnumb, asleep
18
adjective
Empty of life, with nothing living or growing there.
Like a desert where almost nothing can live.
Nothing grows in the dead soil near the old mine.
Scientists found a dead zone in the polluted lake.
Similarbarren, lifeless, sterile, desolate
Oppositefertile, thriving
19
adjective
Not moving at all and completely still.
Like a statue that never moves an inch.
When the wind dropped, our sailboat sat dead in the water.
With no wind, the flag hung dead against the pole.
UsageSay dead in the water for a boat, or a plan, that cannot move.
Similarmotionless, still, stationary, immobile
Note
20
adjective
Dull and flat, with no brightness or sparkle.
Like a flat soda that has lost all of its fizz.
The paint dried to a dead, flat gray.
The wine tasted dead after sitting open all night.
Similardull, flat, lifeless, drab
Oppositebright, vivid, sparkling
21
out of playadjective
Out of play under the rules, so play with the ball stops until the game starts again.
Like a board game piece that is set aside and not part of the round.
The ball was dead the moment it crossed the line.
Play stops as soon as the puck is dead.
Oppositelive
Note
22
murderverbslangtransitive
To kill a person.
They warned they would dead him if he talked.
He bragged that he could dead anyone who crossed him.
Similarkill, murder, waste, ice
Note
23
shut downverbtransitive
To stop or block something by taking away its power to work.
Similarkill, disable, stop
24
adjective
No longer burning, so it gives no heat or light. Used about fires, coals, matches and cigarettes.
By morning the campfire was dead and cold.
He dropped the dead match into the sink.
Similarextinguished, spent, cold
Oppositelive, lit, burning
25
adjective
Made on purpose so that it does not give movement or power.
26
adjective
Built so that sound does not bounce back or pass through.
27
adjective
Not producing anything, like land that is not farmed.
28
adjective
In golf, so close to the hole that the next shot cannot miss.
29
adjectiveslang
In baseball, out because a fielder touched you with the ball or the glove holding it.
30
adjectiveobsolete
Able to kill.
You breathe these dead news in as dead an ear.
c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”
31
adjective
Having lost all legal rights, as if no longer alive in the eyes of the law.
32
adjectiverare
No longer moved or ruled by something, such as sin or pleasure.
33
adjective
In Thai, Burmese and similar languages, of a syllable that stops short.
34
nounUK
Useless rock left behind in a mine.
35
nouncolloquial
A deadlift, lifting a heavy bar from the floor.
36
verb
To make something lose its life or strength.
37
verbslang
To stop or end something, such as a plan.

Practice

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Origin

This word comes from Old English dēad, from older Germanic roots.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Dead comes from Old English dēad. en.wiktionary.org
Old English dēad derives from older Germanic forms. en.wiktionary.org