(as) dead as a doornail
idiom
chiefly US, informal
—used to stress that someone or something is dead
The old captain was dead as a doornail.
—often used figurativelyThe negotiations are as dead as a doornail.
The deal is dead as a doornail.
Examples of (as) dead as a doornail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The film itself seems to be Death's next target, dead as a doornail.
—
Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2022
These phrases catch on, are picked up by a host of people, and quickly become trite or dead as a doornail (itself a cliché) as their originality and cleverness vanish into thin air (another cliché).
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
Biden’s critical race theory: racist, wrong and dead as a doornail.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 16 May 2022
Old Marley was dead as a doornail, and so was the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, which up until the COVID-19 lockdown had transformed the Cow Palace exhibition hall into lamplit Victorian London.
—Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Dec. 2021
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.
Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2022
These phrases catch on, are picked up by a host of people, and quickly become trite or dead as a doornail (itself a cliché) as their originality and cleverness vanish into thin air (another cliché).
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
Biden’s critical race theory: racist, wrong and dead as a doornail.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 16 May 2022
Old Marley was dead as a doornail, and so was the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, which up until the COVID-19 lockdown had transformed the Cow Palace exhibition hall into lamplit Victorian London.
—Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Dec. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near (as) dead as a doornail
Cite this Entry
“(as) dead as a doornail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28as%29%20dead%20as%20a%20doornail. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share