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
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Still, Penny grabbed him from behind and put him in a deadly chokehold.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
Tommy McArdle, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024
But don’t be fooled by the apparent humor, the Hellcat crime group is deadly serious and wants $125,000 in the cryptocurrency Monero as well.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadly 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Assad's downfall, if it's confirmed, also marks the latest stunning development in one of the deadliest civil wars of the 21st century.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Still, Penny grabbed him from behind and put him in a deadly chokehold.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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
But don’t be fooled by the apparent humor, the Hellcat crime group is deadly serious and wants $125,000 in the cryptocurrency Monero as well.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 6 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 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deadly
2 of 2 adverb1
: suggesting death
deadly pale
2
: to a very great degree
deadly dull
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