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Definition of deadnext
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as in doomed
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death if we don't finish this project on time, we're dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dead

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adverb

dead

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noun

as in death
the state of being dead it's impossible to raise someone from the dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dead contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dead are deceased, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How does the word deceased relate to other synonyms for dead?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When is it sensible to use defunct instead of dead?

The words defunct and dead are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

Where would departed be a reasonable alternative to dead?

The synonyms departed and dead are sometimes interchangeable, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When might late be a better fit than dead?

Although the words late and dead have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

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
Adjective
Two people are dead and at least one more is injured after a shooting broke out between two parties at Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday, police said. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 3 July 2026 The man was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
Adverb
Among 81 qualified guards, Savaiinaea ranked dead last in overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. Miami Herald, 29 May 2026 In Milwaukee, Sweeney helped transform a Bucks team that ranked dead last in defensive rating into the fourth-best defense in the league in a single season. Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Noun
Once the fog of chaos lifted, the police and the protesters both gathered their dead. Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026 Then one of Shapira’s fellow soldiers turns up and shoots the Syrian dead. John Hopewell, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • The bell’s pyramidal face is decorated with depictions of deceased kings and queens, and its toll was believed to invoke ancestral spirits.
    Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026
  • Both of his parents are deceased, and his grandmother was caring for his younger brother, who was suffering from a severe leg injury.
    Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
    Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Adjective
  • Depredation occurs when a shark steals an angler’s catch off their line, and Florida’s fishers are tired of it.
    Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Pugh is tired of seeing her mom suffer by no fault of her own.
    Bryant Reed, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • This World Cup has been bringing the absolute goods from day one.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • The last decade has been an absolute whirlwind for the 38-year-old film school graduate, who could have never dreamed of the success he’s enjoyed as a YouTube personality with over 10 million subscribers (and counting).
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • Relationships often suffer as people withdraw or feel emotionally numb.
    Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • Some doctors understandably get a bit numb to the pain of their patients.
    Lawrence Ingrassia, STAT, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Excavators uncovered stone artifacts and bones of Stegodon florensis insularis, a bison-size extinct relative of elephants, near the Homo floresiensis fossils.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • Pittsburgh's National Aviary recently hatched two Guam kingfisher chicks, a species extinct in the wild.
    Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Adjective
  • Some of the renovations have been successful; fountains are running anew, including the long-dormant cascading water feature at the city’s popular Meridian Hill Park.
    Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Our bedroom is obviously dormant and dead, but that’s ok too.
    Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • At the same time, vaccination rates have declined, worrying experts that more people could become vulnerable to this potentially deadly but preventable infection.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • The suspect, who has not yet been identified by police, was arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of 22-year-old Nasir Majied on Friday, June 5.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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