deadlier; deadliest
1
: likely to cause or capable of producing death
deadly poison
2
a
: aiming to kill or destroy : implacable
a deadly enemy
b
: highly effective
a deadly exposé
c
: unerring
a deadly marksman
d
: marked by determination or extreme seriousness
3
a
: tending to deprive of force or vitality
a deadly habit
b
: suggestive of death especially in dullness or lack of animation
deadly bores
a deadly conversation
4
: very great : extreme
deadliness
noun
Synonyms
Adjective
Adverb
- achingly
- almighty
- archly
- awful
- awfully
- badly
- beastly
- blisteringly
- bone
- colossally
- corking
- cracking
- damn
- damned
- dang
- desperately
- eminently
- enormously
- especially
- ever
- exceedingly
- exceeding
- extra
- extremely
- fabulously
- fantastically
- far
- fiercely
- filthy
- frightfully
- full
- greatly
- heavily
- highly
- hugely
- immensely
- incredibly
- intensely
- jolly
- majorly
- mightily
- mighty
- monstrous [chiefly dialect]
- mortally
- most
- much
- particularly
- passing
- rattling
- real
- really
- right
- roaring
- roaringly
- seriously
- severely
- so
- sore
- sorely
- spanking
- specially
- stinking
- such
- super
- supremely
- surpassingly
- terribly
- that
- thumping
- too
- unco
- uncommonly
- vastly
- very
- vitally
- way
- whacking
- wicked
- wildly
Examples of deadly in a Sentence
Adjective
the world's most deadly snake
a more deadly form of the disease
They launched a deadly attack.
Officers are allowed to use deadly force if necessary.
She shoots with deadly accuracy.
a basketball player with deadly aim
A deadly silence followed his question.
The two gang leaders are deadly enemies.
He spoke with deadly seriousness.
Adverb
I'm deadly serious about making an offer on the house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jane Lacroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Helene's toll: Hurricane among the deadliest since 1950 The cost in dollars: Hurricane season will cost over $100B
Women online are warning each other about painful procedures
Kerry Schwartz suffered excruciating pain during a gynecological biopsy to have a fibroid removed.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Russell Contreras, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Guy does not take him seriously, but Bruno is deadly serious.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadly 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Adjective
Tired of the toxic culture within the group, Veronica teams up with her rebellious new boyfriend, J.D. (played by Christian Slater), and things quickly spiral out of control as their plot to take down the Heathers turns deadly.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Helene's toll: Hurricane among the deadliest since 1950 The cost in dollars: Hurricane season will cost over $100B
Women online are warning each other about painful procedures
Kerry Schwartz suffered excruciating pain during a gynecological biopsy to have a fibroid removed.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Adverb
The Bund event was deadly serious, featuring few jokes and no comedians.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Guy does not take him seriously, but Bruno is deadly serious.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadly
Dictionary Entries Near deadly
Cite this Entry
“Deadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadly. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deadly
2 of 2 adverb1
: suggesting death
deadly pale
2
: to a very great degree
deadly dull
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share