1
as in deceased
no longer living
I inherited this heirloom from my dead great-grandfather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slow
lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation
the store is often dead after 4:00 p.m.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
a long day of traveling left them just dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in absolute
having no exceptions or restrictions
there was a dead silence following that incredibly moving performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
my foot was dead after I absentmindedly sat on it for an hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in extinct
no longer existing
the dead Babylonian culture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
local coal mines that have been dead for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in deadly
of, relating to, or suggestive of death
fell into a dead faint upon hearing the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
10
as in bland
lacking in taste or flavor
from the first sip I could tell that the wine hadn't aged well and was pretty much dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
the dead wastes of the far country to the west
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in straight
in a direct line or course
the finish line is dead ahead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in completely
to a full extent or degree
I'm dead certain that's the one I want
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in death
the state of being dead
it's impossible to raise someone from the dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dead
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Gabriel was declared brain dead that day and was taken off life support two days later.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 24 May 2025
Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
With the Chicago Blackhawks dead last in the standings, general manager Kyle Davidson will likely spend more time over the next months evaluating draft prospects and taking calls leading up to the March 7 deadline.
—Scott Powers, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Collecting the bodies For nearly three days, corpses littered the streets of Pine village, after villagers said fighters forbade them from collecting their dead, according to three of the locals CNN spoke to.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead
Adjective
Limit any pruning to removing dead wood or truly wayward branches.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Gabriel was declared brain dead that day and was taken off life support two days later.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 24 May 2025
Adverb
Entering last season, the Tigers had averaged about a ninth-place finish in punt return yards since joining the SEC in 2012, including 2023, when Mizzou finished dead last.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
With the Chicago Blackhawks dead last in the standings, general manager Kyle Davidson will likely spend more time over the next months evaluating draft prospects and taking calls leading up to the March 7 deadline.
—Scott Powers, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Russia’s Tass news agency earlier said the Russian dead included at least two children, citing the country’s consul in Hurghada.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Collecting the bodies For nearly three days, corpses littered the streets of Pine village, after villagers said fighters forbade them from collecting their dead, according to three of the locals CNN spoke to.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
-
At Harrison’s birth, his father, Lyon Sr., was 75 years old, and his grandfather had been deceased for 66 years.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
29 May 2025
-
By honoring the Union’s deceased soldiers, the Black community in Charleston was creating a moment in the nation’s history, showing gratitude to those who had fought for their emancipation.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Still, even if the growth is slower than in some North American leagues, European teams continue to appreciate.—
Justin Teitelbaum,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
The solution to getting those who may be slower to embrace AI isn’t to push them harder, but to coach them and consider their backgrounds.—
Greg Edwards,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Some victims are already tired of fighting this fight.—
Ashley Belanger – May 19,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2025
-
At the end of the tour, people were tired, so most people ended up returning to the hotel and getting lunch afterwards.—
Janet B. Carson,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
The company’s long-term target is to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050, based on a 2022 baseline.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
19 May 2025
-
The layers of fealty, love and the grinding terror of war are absolute perfection.—
Caitlin Starling,
People.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
On one hand, actors become more and more capable of doing impossible stunts with the help of technology, and yet, on the other hand, the concept of danger and limit gets blurred and the audience is numb [to it].—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 May 2025
-
My forehead stiffened and went numb, like it was made of concrete that had suddenly set.—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
One of these two lineages is the ancestor of the present-day strains, while the other strain re-emerged over centuries in Europe and went extinct by the early 19th century.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
-
Related article Rhinos went extinct in Uganda 40 years ago.—
Nell Lewis,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
The cause of the blaze has not been determined, but the company has acknowledged that it may have been sparked by a faulty dormant power line operated by Edison.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
-
Perhaps the Flyers believe that a certain segment of the fan base that’s been dormant through what has been a mostly incompetent decade will awaken with the return of one of the organization’s most popular all-time players now running the day-to-day operations at ice level.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Russia is making steady gains in Ukraine, and Putin is preparing a summer offensive that could be the deadliest of the war so far, an expert has assessed.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
-
Drone video shows tornadoes' damage in Kentucky morning after deadly storms 01:30 4.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share