1
: deprived of life : no longer alive
a dead tree
dead soldiers
missing and presumed dead
2
b
: very tired
Our legs were completely dead after the hike.
c(1)
: incapable of being stirred emotionally or intellectually : unresponsive
a heart dead to pity
felt dead inside
(2)
: grown cold : extinguished
dead coals
3
4
a(1)
: lacking power or effect
a dead law
(2)
: no longer having interest, relevance, or significance
a dead issue
b
: no longer in use : obsolete
a dead language
c
: no longer active : extinct
a dead volcano
d
: lacking in gaiety or animation
a dead party
e(1)
: lacking in commercial activity : quiet
The city is dead after five o'clock.
(2)
: commercially idle or unproductive
dead capital
f
: lacking elasticity (see elasticity sense 1a)
a dead tennis ball
g
: being out of action or out of use
The phone went dead.
specifically, electrical engineering
: free from any connection to a source of voltage and free from electric charges
a dead electrical circuit
h(1)
sports and games
: being out of play
a dead ball
(2)
croquet
: temporarily forbidden to play or to make a certain play
5
a
: not running or circulating : stagnant
dead water
b
: not turning
the dead center of a lathe
c
mechanical engineering
: not imparting motion or power although otherwise functioning
a dead rear axle
d
: lacking warmth, vigor, or taste
The fire was dead.
a dead wine
6
a
: absolutely uniform
a dead level of mediocrity
b(1)
: unerring
a dead shot with a rifle
(2)
: exact
dead center of the target
(3)
: certain to be doomed
he's dead if he's late for curfew
(4)
: irrevocable
a dead loss
c
: abrupt
brought to a dead stop
7
: devoid of former occupants
dead villages
deadness
noun
plural dead
1
: someone who is no longer alive : one that is dead (see dead entry 1 sense 1)
—usually used collectively
They were among the dead.
2
: the state of being dead
raised him from the dead—
Colossians 2:12 (Revised Standard Version)
Colossians 2:12 (Revised Standard Version)3
: the time of greatest quiet
the dead of night
1
: absolutely, utterly
dead certain
finished dead last
The room became dead quiet.—Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat2
: suddenly and completely
stopped dead in his tracks
3
: directly
dead ahead
Phrases
dead in the water
1
: incapable of being effective : stalled
peace talks were dead in the water
2
: as good as dead : doomed
most books are dead in the water long before their publication—Phillip Lopate
Phillip Lopate
: with no chance of escape or excuse : red-handed
had him dead to rights for the robbery
: only by overcoming one's utter and determined resistance
vows that they'll raise his taxes over his dead body
Synonyms
Examples of dead in a Sentence
Adjective
Her husband is dead. He died last year.
He was found dead in his apartment yesterday.
He lay dead on the floor.
The lost mountain climbers were believed dead.
The poster said that the robbers were wanted dead or alive.
Our legs were completely dead after hiking all day.
I'm dead if I come in late for work again.
If I ever get my hands on you, you're dead!
Noun
By the end of the war, there were over two million dead.
He began his journey in the dead of winter.
Adverb
She's dead certain that she can finish the job.
We were dead tired by the end of the day.
He's not joking. In fact, he's dead serious.
They were both dead drunk and passed out on the floor.
She finished the race dead last.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ron Wilkins, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Nov. 2024
Riley was found dead from blunt force trauma, after Ibarra disfigured her face, per authorities.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024
Advertisement California Cyclist dies after being hit by two vehicles in L.A. Police search for drivers who fled the scene
Sept. 20, 2024
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the crash and pronounced the minor dead at the scene, according to the LAPD.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 5 Nov. 2024
Police:Suspect dead after shooting at Santa Monica College severely injures employee
GoFundMe created for three victims of Oʻahu North Shore
A family friend of the Oklahoma women created a GoFundMe page to help with the expenses that have accumulated while the two are in Hawaii.
—Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead 
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.
Adjective
Allen, 52, is accused of killing two teens who went missing Feb. 13, 2017, and were found dead the next day.
—Ron Wilkins, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Nov. 2024
Riley was found dead from blunt force trauma, after Ibarra disfigured her face, per authorities.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
The supply of unclaimed dead helped bring in about $2.5 million a year from outside groups, according to financial records.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024
Advertisement California Cyclist dies after being hit by two vehicles in L.A. Police search for drivers who fled the scene
Sept. 20, 2024
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the crash and pronounced the minor dead at the scene, according to the LAPD.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Gunhild Swanson had finished dead last, 254th out of 254 runners.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 5 Nov. 2024
Police:Suspect dead after shooting at Santa Monica College severely injures employee
GoFundMe created for three victims of Oʻahu North Shore
A family friend of the Oklahoma women created a GoFundMe page to help with the expenses that have accumulated while the two are in Hawaii.
—Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead
Dictionary Entries Near dead
Cite this Entry
“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dead
1 of 3 adjective1
: deprived of life : no longer alive
2
a
: having the appearance of death : deathly
in a dead faint
c
: very tired
the trip was really tiring; I'm dead
d
: not reacting : insensitive
dead to pity
e
: burned out : grown cold
dead coals
3
a
: not naturally having life : inanimate
dead matter
b
: no longer producing or functioning
dead battery
4
a
: no longer in use or effect : obsolete
dead language
b
: no longer active : extinct
dead volcano
c
: not lively
a dead party
d
: lacking in commercial activity : quiet
e
: lacking spring
dead tennis ball
f
: being out of action or out of use
a dead telephone line
g
: being out of play
a dead ball
5
: not running or circulating : stagnant
dead air
deadness
noun
dead
2 of 3 noun
plural dead
1
plural
: those that are dead
the living and the dead
2
: the time of greatest quiet or least activity
dead of night
dead of winter
dead
3 of 3 adverb1
: to the highest degree
dead right
2
: suddenly and completely
stopped dead
3
: straight entry 2
dead ahead
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