cadaverous

adjective

ca·​dav·​er·​ous kə-ˈdav-rəs How to pronounce cadaverous (audio)
-ˈda-və-rəs
1
a
: of or relating to a corpse
the cadaverous odors of the battlefield
b
: suggestive of corpses or tombs
2
a
b
: gaunt, emaciated
grossly underweight, he appeared cadaverous, like a living skeleton
cadaverously adverb

Examples of cadaverous in a Sentence

A tall, cadaverous man led us into the library. everyone always looks cadaverous in the winter
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plus, the kid isn’t dead either, as his flailing pale self that looks on the verge of the cadaverous pops out of the trunk Jack shoves him in. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2024 Moreover, keeping the cadaverous Biden in the White House is a daily reminder to the American people of the feebleness and anemia of the Democratic Party, which taints Harris by association. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024 Concluding that the medical students and obstetricians were causing puerperal fever in their pregnant patients by infecting them with cadaverous particles on their hands, Semmelweis instituted some harsh protocols. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Looking at that picture, the back of Biden's neck looks cadaverous. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 30 Oct. 2023 Then those cadaverous mistakes are doing them in and losing games. Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 25 May 2023 Season 2 picks up 10 years after Sam Walker (Sprouse) discovered the unspeakable secrets of Drisking, Mo., when a ghost of the past arrives to drag him back for revenge — and back to the cadaverous forests that color his nightmares… and back to the gates of Borrasca. Todd Spangler, Variety, 31 Mar. 2022 An earlier study suggested that the assassin bug’s cadaverous backpack protected it from other predators and now, Jackson and Pollard have tested this theory by pitting the bugs against jumping spiders. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2010 And despite their cadaverous appearances, vultures are actually very hygienic animals. William H. Funk, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2016

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cadaverous was in 1627

Dictionary Entries Near cadaverous

Cite this Entry

“Cadaverous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cadaverous. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

cadaverous

adjective
ca·​dav·​er·​ous kə-ˈdav-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce cadaverous (audio)
: resembling a corpse: as

Medical Definition

cadaverous

adjective
ca·​dav·​er·​ous kə-ˈdav-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce cadaverous (audio)
1
: of or relating to a corpse
2
of a complexion : being pallid or livid like a corpse

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