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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
He was was shot and pronounced dead on scene, the release said. Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 July 2025 Paramedics tried to resuscitate her and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
Adverb
Voices Hiltzik: Trump and Vance are dead wrong — economists unanimously agree that U.S. tariffs are a tax on American consumers Sept. 4, 2024 Trump’s tariff orders betray the same inattention to detail. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 Deputies believe the contractor hadn’t been dead long, probably within a day, by the time authorities got involved, KPRC reported. Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2025
Noun
In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps, searchers have found 16 bodies since Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of dead there to 59, including 21 children, said Sheriff Larry Leitha. Jim Vertuno, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025 The discovery brought the number of dead there to five, with five others potentially under the debris, Terekhov said. Arkansas Online, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead
Adjective
  • Following the case of mistaken identity, the hunt for Decker continues, well over a month after his three girls were discovered deceased at 3:45 p.m. local time on June 2.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 July 2025
  • Chacon was transported by Johnson County Med-Act to a nearby hospital and was later pronounced deceased, police said.
    Laura Bauer July 12, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • Without automation, errors are common and reimbursement is slow.
    Duke Chung, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Skin Conditions Dry, itchy skin, and wounds or cuts that are slow to heal can be a sign of hyperglycemia.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Already, 47% of clinicians report that being tired has impacted their abilities to treat patients.
    Victoria Feng, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • His legs are going to be a little tired, as to be expected.
    Roderick Boone Updated July 11, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • The defense is claiming two reasons for dismissal: That Dugan has absolute immunity as a judge on official acts like deciding when a case is called and also that the prosecution is an example of government overreach.
    Daniel Bice, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
  • For the consumer who truly wants the absolute best optics, glass is still the best material available.
    Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • His leg went numb, but his sense of humor was unharmed.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 July 2025
  • Europe, perhaps now numb to the threats from across the Atlantic, also stayed relatively calm with London’s FTSE and Germany’s DAX marking minor gains.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • Someone else wanted to make a list of every species that had ever gone extinct.
    Clare Sestanovich, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
  • Paleontologists have spent decades hotly debating why such magnificent beasts went extinct, the emerging picture involving a one-two punch of increasing human influence on the landscape and a warmer interglacial climate that began to change the world’s ecosystems.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • This means your lawn is dormant and should be revived with watering.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
  • Shipbuilding in the United States has been all but dormant.
    Adam Reiss, NBC news, 17 July 2025
Adjective
  • Wetlands need restoration to once again catch phosphorus that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of deadly algae.
    Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
  • Scene Breakdown: Embrace AI Convention - From a dance battle to a blood fest, this breakdown will show how each department worked together to create this epic and deadly sequence.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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