1
as in deadly
of, relating to, or suggestive of death
his deathly pallor suggested that any attempt to find a pulse would be futile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
smallpox is one deathly disease that medical science has been able to conquer
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 deathly
Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail.
—
Outside, 8 Jan. 2026
Despite the deathly dangers of fentanyl contamination, hard drug use has been enjoying record increases in Hollywood and beyond not seen since the hard-partying ’80s.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The deathly avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3 always scared me.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025
Californians must rise and reclaim our Golden State from the deathly and devastating grip of endless bureaucratic cancer.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
For all of those thousands of collegiate Olympians past and present, the roar of the football crowd will be drowned out by the deathly silence of their shuttered programs.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2024
Gomez has co-led the Hulu series alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short since its 2021 debut, as a band of neighbors who join forces to solve deathly mysteries unfolding around them.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 17 July 2024
The deathly gossip started as St. Patrick’s Day rumo(u)rs that the BBC was on standby for an announcement from the royal family and government buildings were flying flags at half-mast.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2024
Outside, 8 Jan. 2026
Despite the deathly dangers of fentanyl contamination, hard drug use has been enjoying record increases in Hollywood and beyond not seen since the hard-partying ’80s.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The deathly avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3 always scared me.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025
Californians must rise and reclaim our Golden State from the deathly and devastating grip of endless bureaucratic cancer.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
For all of those thousands of collegiate Olympians past and present, the roar of the football crowd will be drowned out by the deathly silence of their shuttered programs.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2024
Gomez has co-led the Hulu series alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short since its 2021 debut, as a band of neighbors who join forces to solve deathly mysteries unfolding around them.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 17 July 2024
The deathly gossip started as St. Patrick’s Day rumo(u)rs that the BBC was on standby for an announcement from the royal family and government buildings were flying flags at half-mast.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deathly
Adjective
-
Administration public health officials often cite the need to restore trust in public health systems after the coronavirus pandemic, when vaccine policy and the general public health response to the deadly pandemic became a highly polarizing topic in American politics.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Metropolitan Police Department made another arrest in connection with a deadly 2023 shooting outside a Northeast Washington nightclub that killed former Morgan State University basketball player Blake Bozeman and injured three others.—
7News WJLA,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But humans have been lethal to stoats in return, especially when their pelts turn white.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The state is now in the process of transitioning from lethal injection to a firing squad as its lead execution method.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a device far too overused in this genre, an opening flashback indicates that Alice’s amateur investigation into where Tom went will put her in mortal danger.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Crowe will portray a swordsman who mentors Cavill's Highlander, and Bautista will play an antagonistic immortal known as the Kurgen, while Gillan will star as Connor's very mortal wife.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Italy’s specialist mountain rescue organization revealed the fatal disasters were caused by weak layers of fresh snow, unstable enough that the passage of a single person could trigger an avalanche.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The fatal shootings and immigration agents' tactics in Minnesota have alienated a growing share of Americans and caused friction within the Republican Party.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Sudan plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
He was taken to the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the medical examiner’s office said.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deathly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deathly. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
