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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
Oscar was found dead on Wednesday in the city of Oxnard, west of Los Angeles, off to the side of a road near Leo Carrillo State Beach, Hochman said. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025 Three days after he was reported missing, he was found dead. Julia Moore, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Ben Patrick is better known as the Knees Over Toes guy: a viral internet personality who believes that the oldest rule in the weight-training book is dead wrong. Wes Judd, Outside Online, 6 Jan. 2025 When his mother winds up dead, Ali begins to have his suspicions. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
According to a criminal complaint, on Aug. 5, 2020, police arrived at a home in Savage after someone found a 33-year-old dead in the home. Alex Malm, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Amid cease-fire, Gazans unearth their dead from rubble. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • After the efforts of paramedics, Martinez was pronounced deceased thirty minutes later.
    Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The film is described as The Martian meets 127 Hours, centering on a scuba diver in search of his deceased father’s remains who gets swallowed by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The shark’s slow movement may have allowed the octopus to stay latched on, but if the mako had picked up speed, the octopus likely would have been forced off.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Relief agencies expect those numbers to rise sharply, since access is slow to remote areas where communications are down.
    David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The gel coating around the pads provides a nonabrasive experience that helps lift up tired skin.
    Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025
  • In their best offensive performance of the season against an admittedly tired and overmatched opponent, the Warriors had season highs in points and assists (42) and committed only 13 turnovers.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Donald Trump has made similarly absolute statements on taxation as did George H. W. Bush.
    The Editors, National Review, 1 Apr. 2025
  • With no clear signs of downside exhaustion in our indicators, either in absolute or relative terms, further weakness and underperformance appears likely for Japanese equities in the near term.
    Katie Stockton, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Truth #10: Parts of your body could be numb for several months—or more.
    Meirav Devash, Allure, 31 Mar. 2025
  • It’s become so widely accepted, with authorities seemingly unable or not willing to do anything, that after a while everyone has become numb to it all.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • From the elevated overlook, visitors have an incredible view of a bare panorama that holds the remains of many extinct species dating back 5 million years.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
  • After examining multiple roughly 99-million-year-old specimens, researchers believe the extinct wasp species featured Venus flytrap-like abdomen appendages for capturing other insects.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Similarly, a fractional COO could focus on scaling operations during a rapid growth phase and lay dormant during less operationally challenging times.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The real culprits, of course, are those bio-raptors who have a severe allergic reaction to light, and (much like certain species of cicada) have lain dormant for years on end.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • She was originally charged with manslaughter – typical in a deadly hit-and-run case – but authorities later tacked on the murder charge.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • As fate would have it, the very destructive and deadly wildfires that swept through Los Angeles neighborhoods this year erupted as its city officials were struggling to close a large gap in their budget.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

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