deadly

deadly
I. adjective (deadlier; -est) Date: before 12th century 1. likely to cause or capable of producing death <
deadly poison
>
2. a. aiming to kill or destroy ; implacable <
a deadly enemy
>
b. highly effective <
a deadly exposé
>
c. unerring <
a deadly marksman
>
d. marked by determination or extreme seriousness 3. a. tending to deprive of force or vitality <
a deadly habit
>
b. suggestive of death especially in dullness or lack of animation <
deadly bores
>
<
a deadly conversation
>
4. very great ; extremedeadliness noun Synonyms: deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal mean causing or capable of causing death. deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death <
a deadly disease
>
. mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable <
a mortal wound
>
. fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction <
fatal consequences
>
. lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life <
lethal gas
>
. II. adverb Date: before 12th century 1. archaic in a manner to cause death ; mortally 2. suggesting death 3. extremely <
deadly serious
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • deadly — adj 1 Deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal mean causing or causative of death. Deadly may imply an extremely high degree of probability rather than a certainty of death; the term therefore applies to something with the capacity of or a marked… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • deadly — [ded′lē] adj. deadlier, deadliest [ME dedlich < OE deadlic: see DEAD & LY1] 1. causing death or likely to cause death [a deadly poison] 2. to the death; mortal or implacable [deadly combat, deadly enemies] …   English World dictionary

  • deadly — dead·ly adj dead·li·er, est: likely to cause or capable of causing death; also: dangerous (2) ◇ Deadly and dangerous are sometimes used interchangeably, esp. in connection with weapons or instruments. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam… …   Law dictionary

  • Deadly — may refer to: Deadly (novel series), a children s book by Morris Gleitzman and Paul Jennings Deadly (TV series), an Australian children s television cartoon series Karla, a 2006 American motion picture originally titled Deadly Alan Deadly… …   Wikipedia

  • deadly — dead ly, a. 1. Capable of causing death; mortal; fatal; destructive; certain or likely to cause death; as, a deadly blow or wound. [1913 Webster] 2. Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile; flagitious; as, deadly enemies.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • deadly — dead ly, adv. 1. In a manner resembling, or as if produced by, death; deathly. Deadly pale. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. In a manner to occasion death; mortally. [1913 Webster] The groanings of a deadly wounded man. Ezek. xxx. 24. [1913 Webster] 3. In …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • deadly — [adj1] causing end of life baleful, baneful, bloodthirsty, bloody, cannibalistic, carcinogenic, cruel, dangerous, death dealing, deathly, deleterious, destroying, destructive, fatal, grim, harmful, homicidal, injurious, internecine, killing,… …   New thesaurus

  • deadly — ► ADJECTIVE (deadlier, deadliest) 1) causing or able to cause death. 2) (of a voice, glance, etc.) filled with hate. 3) extremely accurate or effective. 4) informal extremely boring. ► ADVERB 1) …   English terms dictionary

  • deadly — O.E. deadlic mortal, subject to death, also causing death; see DEAD (Cf. dead) + LY (Cf. ly) (2). Meaning having the capacity to kill is from late 14c. (O.E. words for this included deaðbærlic, deaðberende) …   Etymology dictionary

  • deadly — I UK [ˈdedlɪ] / US adjective Word forms deadly : adjective deadly comparative deadlier superlative deadliest * 1) able or likely to kill people This is a potentially deadly disease. deadly to: Too many water changes can prove deadly to these… …   English dictionary

  • deadly — [[t]de̱dli[/t]] deadlier, deadliest 1) ADJ GRADED If something is deadly, it is likely or able to cause someone s death, or has already caused someone s death. He was acquitted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. ...a deadly disease… …   English dictionary

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