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
Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 19 Jan. 2025
The group is tied to daily attacks across Asia and Africa, as well as plots throughout Europe and even a deadly New Year's rampage in the United States.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
The movie's trailer depicts Rule as an attractive and charismatic tattoo artist who is deadly serious about his work.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadly 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
The deadly fires broke out in the Los Angeles area Jan. 7, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee for safety as their homes and businesses were destroyed.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 19 Jan. 2025
The group is tied to daily attacks across Asia and Africa, as well as plots throughout Europe and even a deadly New Year's rampage in the United States.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
Adverb
Widespread malnutrition after a year of dwindling food supplies is another factor making this winter deadly.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
The movie's trailer depicts Rule as an attractive and charismatic tattoo artist who is deadly serious about his work.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 27 Nov. 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 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deadly
2 of 2 adverb1
: suggesting death
deadly pale
2
: to a very great degree
deadly dull
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