DEAD: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for DEAD?

Need another word that means the same as “dead”? Find 112 synonyms and 30 related words for “dead” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Dead” are: deadened, numb, all in, beat, bushed, drained, stagnant, idle, deceased, expired, departed, gone, no more, passed on, passed away, benumbed, desensitized, insensible, insensate, unfeeling, emotionless, unemotional, impassive, unresponsive, insensitive, indifferent, dispassionate, inexpressive, wooden, stony, cold, frigid, inert, barren, lifeless, bare, empty, desolate, sterile, uneventful, uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, dull, boring, flat, quiet, sleepy, slow, stale, humdrum, tame, pedestrian, lacklustre, not working, out of order, out of commission, inoperative, inactive, ineffective, in disrepair, in a state of disrepair, broken, broken-down, malfunctioning, defective, complete, absolute, total, entire, outright, utter, downright, out-and-out, thorough, unqualified, unmitigated, abruptly, short, suddenly, absolutely, perfectly, utterly, completely, totally, deadly, entirely, wholly, fully, quite, thoroughly, unreservedly, exactly, precisely, sharp, dead on, promptly, punctually, directly, immediately, right, straight, plumb, due, squarely, very, extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally, tremendously, immensely, hugely

Dead as an Adjective

Definitions of "Dead" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “dead” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Unerringly accurate.
• No longer alight.
• (of a piece of equipment) no longer functioning.
• Not yielding a return.
• Physically inactive.
• Not circulating or flowing.
• Lacking emotion, sympathy, or sensitivity.
• (of a colour) not glossy or bright.
• Lacking resilience or bounce.
• Complete.
• (of sound) without resonance; dull.
• Not surviving in active use.
• Complete; absolute.
• (of a place or time) characterized by a lack of activity or excitement.
• Lacking acoustic resonance.
• Very tired.
• No longer having force or relevance.
• (of a glass or bottle) empty or no longer being used.
• The complete stoppage of an action.
• No longer current, relevant, or important.
• Not showing characteristics of life especially the capacity to sustain life; no longer exerting force or having energy or heat.
• Devoid of living things.
• (of a part of the body) having lost sensation; numb.
• (followed by `to') not showing human feeling or sensitivity; unresponsive.
• (of the ball in a game) out of play.
• No longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life.
• Out of use or operation because of a fault or breakdown.
• (of a cricket pitch or other surface) lacking springiness or bounce.
• Drained of electric charge; discharged.
• No longer alive.
• Not showing human feeling or sensitivity; unresponsive.
• Devoid of physical sensation; numb.
• (of money) not financially productive.
• (of an electric circuit or conductor) carrying or transmitting no current.
• Devoid of activity.

Synonyms of "Dead" as an adjective (77 Words)

absolute	Not qualified or diminished in any way; total. Dom Miguel proclaimed himself absolute monarch.
all in	Quantifier; used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class.
bare	Just barely adequate or within a lower limit. She padded in bare feet towards the door.
barren	(of a tree or plant) not producing fruit or seed. Barren lands.
beat	Relating to the beat generation or its philosophy. So beat I could flop down and go to sleep anywhere.
benumbed	Deprived of physical or emotional feeling. A hoarse shout cut through his benumbed senses.
boring	Not interesting; tedious. A boring evening with uninteresting people.
broken	Out of working order busted is an informal substitute for broken. Broken sobs.
broken-down	In deplorable condition.
bushed	Flummoxed or bewildered. Unused to solitude he went bushed.
cold	Having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e g ice or refrigeration. Was cold to his advances.
complete	Perfect and complete in every respect having all necessary qualities. His range of skills made him the complete footballer.
deadened	Made or become less intense. The deadened pangs of hunger.
deceased	Dead. He is deceased.
defective	(of a word) not having all the inflections normal for the part of speech. A defective appliance.
departed	Dead. Our dear departed friend.
desensitized	Having been made less sensitive. Desensitized taste buds.
desolate	Crushed by grief. The desolate surface of the moon.
dispassionate	Not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial. A journalist should be a dispassionate reporter of fact.
downright	So direct in manner as to be blunt. A downright kind of person.
drained	Drained of electric charge discharged. A drained marsh.
dull	Darkened with overcast. Next morning dawned dull.
emotionless	Not showing any emotion; unemotional. Her voice was flat and emotionless.
empty	(of words or a gesture) lacking meaning or sincerity. After skipped lunch the men were empty by suppertime.
entire	Constituting the undiminished entirety lacking nothing essential especially not damaged Bacon. My plans are to travel the entire world.
expired	Having come to an end or become void after passage of a period of time. Caught driving with an expired license.
flat	Of something kept inflated especially a tyre having lost some or all of its air typically because of a puncture. His sense of intoxication wore off until he felt flat and weary.
frigid	Devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain. My ex told everyone I was frigid.
gone	Drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted. A bunch of real gone cats.
humdrum	Not challenging; dull and lacking excitement. Humdrum routine work.
idle	(of a person) not working; unemployed. Idle talk.
impassive	Deliberately impassive in manner. He remained impassive showing neither interest in nor concern for our plight.
in a state of disrepair	Holding office.
in disrepair	Directed or bound inward.
inactive	Not engaging in political or other activity. Inactive machinery.
indifferent	(usually followed by `to’) unwilling or refusing to pay heed. Was indifferent to their acceptance or rejection of her invitation.
ineffective	Not producing any significant or desired effect. The legal sanctions against oil spills are virtually ineffective.
inert	Chemically inactive. She lay inert in her bed.
inexpressive	Not expressive. An inexpressive face.
inoperative	Not working or taking effect. The Act may be rendered inoperative.
insensate	Without compunction or human feeling. Insentient or insensate stone.
insensible	(of a person or bodily extremity) without feeling; numb. Insensible to pain.
insensitive	Not aware of or able to respond to something. Both were in many ways insensitive to painting.
lacklustre	Lacking brilliance or vitality. The conditioner will revitalize lacklustre hair.
lifeless	Lacking vigour, vitality, or excitement. Dull and lifeless hair.
malfunctioning	Not performing or able to perform its regular function. A malfunctioning valve.
no more	Quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns for indicating a complete or almost complete lack or zero quantity of.
not working	Serving to permit or facilitate further work or activity.
numb	So frightened as to be unable to move; stunned or paralyzed with terror; petrified. The tragic events left us shocked and numb.
out of commission	Outer or outlying.
out of order	Outer or outlying.
out-and-out	Not worth considering as a possibility.
outright	Total. An outright refusal.
passed away	Of advancing the ball by throwing it.
passed on	Of advancing the ball by throwing it.
pedestrian	Lacking wit or imagination. A pedestrian movie plot.
quiet	In a softened tone. I ll have a quiet word with him.
sleepy	Needing or ready for sleep. The one time sleepy world of pensions.
slow	Slow to learn or understand lacking intellectual acuity Thackeray. The slow lane of traffic.
stagnant	Showing no activity; dull and sluggish. A stagnant ditch.
stale	(of a cheque or legal claim) invalid because out of date. Stale news.
sterile	Incapable of reproducing. A sterile ideology lacking in originality.
stony	Showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings. Stony ground.
tame	(of land) cultivated. Network TV on Saturday night is a pretty tame affair.
thorough	Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers. Made a thorough search.
total	Complete in extent or degree and in every particular. It is a matter of total indifference to me.
unemotional	Unsusceptible to or destitute of or showing no emotion. A flat unemotional voice.
uneventful	Not marked by interesting or exciting events. A place where dull people lead uneventful lives.
unexciting	Not exciting. Many school prospectuses are dull and unexciting.
unfeeling	Devoid of feeling for others. He lowered his numb unfeeling body into a seat and closed his eyes.
uninspiring	Depressing to the spirit. An uninspiring game that United scarcely deserved to win.
uninteresting	Characteristic or suggestive of an institution especially in being uniform or dull or unimaginative. The scenery is dull and uninteresting.
unmitigated	Not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier. An unmitigated horror.
unqualified	(of a person) not officially recognized as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity through having satisfied the relevant conditions or requirements. I am singularly unqualified to write about football.
unresponsive	Not susceptible to suggestion or influence. These symptoms may be unresponsive to conventional treatment.
utter	Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers. Utter nonsense.
wooden	Made of wood. The actor s performance was wooden.

Usage Examples of "Dead" as an adjective

• A dead body.
• Higher up, the marble becomes of a dull, dead colour.
• Took dead aim.
• The ball had gone dead.
• Dead air.
• Crater Lake is in the crater of a dead volcano of the Cascade Range.
• The batteries are dead.
• The nerve is dead.
• Came to a dead stop.
• The note sounds dead compared to all others on the keyboard.
• Dead coals.
• Latin is a dead language.
• Pollution had become a dead issue.
• Dead capital.
• He was marked as a dead man by the assassin.
• They got all the dead glasses and put them on the table.
• His gums were dead from the novocain.
• We sat in dead silence.
• The phone had gone dead.
• Brussels isn't dead after dark, if you know where to look.
• The motor is dead.
• A dead issue.
• A dead battery.
• Dead water.
• Mars is a dead planet.
• She felt no discomfort as the dentist drilled her deadened tooth.
• There was no time to bury the dead with decency.
• Far from being dead money, it is available to be spent or invested.
• A dead planet.
• The fire had been dead for some days.
• A cold, dead voice.
• This is a dead town; nothing ever happens here.
• The fire is dead.
• Dead soil.
• I severed nerves in my leg so part of my foot is dead.
• The pitch was so utterly dead that Pollock could hardly get the ball bail-high.
• A dead pallor.
• A dead tennis ball.
• The dead wall surfaces of a recording studio.
• He was shot dead by a sniper.
• A dead telephone line.
• Dead sounds characteristic of some compact discs.
• Passersby were dead to our plea for help.
• I'm dead after that long trip.
• A dead shot.

Dead as an Adverb

Definitions of "Dead" as an adverb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “dead” as an adverb can have the following definitions:

• Very.
• Exactly.
• Straight; directly.
• Completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers.
• Absolutely; completely.
• Quickly and without warning.

Synonyms of "Dead" as an adverb (35 Words)

abruptly	Suddenly and unexpectedly. A drama about two young brothers who are abruptly abandoned by their father.
absolutely	(of a verb) without a stated object. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
completely	So as to be complete; with everything necessary. The fire completely destroyed the building.
dead on	Completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers.
deadly	Extremely (used as intensives. A deadly serious remark.
directly	With nothing or no one in between. She spoke simply and directly.
due	Directly or exactly; straight. We ll head due south again on the same road.
entirely	Completely (often used for emphasis. We have an entirely different outlook.
exactly	Indicating exactness or preciseness. He was doing precisely or exactly what she had told him to do.
exceedingly	Extremely. The team played exceedingly well.
exceptionally	Only in unusual circumstances. The court allows half an hour in most cases one hour exceptionally for a very important case.
extremely	To an extreme degree. This is an extremely difficult thing to do.
fully	Completely or entirely; to the fullest extent. He didn t fully understand.
hugely	Very much; to a very great extent. A hugely expensive house.
immediately	Bearing an immediate relation. They would be the states most immediately affected by any such action.
immensely	To a great extent; extremely. The president was immensely popular.
perfectly	In a manner or way that could not be better. You know perfectly well I can t stay.
plumb	Conforming to the direction of a plumb line. Fell plumb in the middle of the puddle.
precisely	Exactly (used to emphasize the complete accuracy or truth of a statement. The guidelines are precisely defined.
promptly	With little or no delay. He did his homework promptly.
punctually	At the agreed or proper time; promptly. Four out of five trains were arriving punctually.
quite	All the way. Her victory was quite something.
right	In the right manner correctly suitably. Do right by him.
sharp	Precisely (used after an expression of time. The road twists sharply after the light.
short	Not as far as the point aimed at; not far enough. He said shortly that he didn t like it.
squarely	Directly and without evasion; not roundabout. The responsibility lies squarely with them.
straight	In a straight line directly. I ll fetch up the bath to you straight.
suddenly	Happening unexpectedly. He made up his mind suddenly.
thoroughly	Completely and absolutely good is sometimes used informally for thoroughly. He searched the house thoroughly.
totally	To a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole’ is often used informally for `wholly. So then Julie like totally dumps her boyfriend Tommy.
tremendously	Extremely. Costs vary tremendously from area to area.
unreservedly	Frankly and openly. I unreservedly recommend the book.
utterly	Completely and without qualification; absolutely. He looked utterly ridiculous.
very	Used to emphasize that the following description applies without qualification. He played very well.
wholly	To a complete degree or to the full or entire extent whole is often used informally for wholly. The distinction is not wholly clear.

Usage Examples of "Dead" as an adverb

• You're dead right.
• Omelettes are dead easy to prepare.
• Red flares were seen dead ahead.
• Dead right.
• They arrived dead on time.
• Was dead tired.
• He was dead against the idea.
• You can be dead sure of my innocence.

Associations of "Dead" (30 Words)

abortive	Causing or resulting in abortion. The rebel officers who led the abortive coup were shot.
ascension	(New Testament) the rising of the body of Jesus into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection. His ascension to the presidency.
autopsy	Perform an autopsy on a body or organ. A Home Office pathologist carried out the autopsy.
bier	A stand to support a corpse or a coffin prior to burial. We followed the bier to the graveyard.
carcass	The remains of something. The carcass has a high proportion of meat to bone.
cemetery	A tract of land used for burials. A military cemetery.
corpse	A dead body, especially of a human being rather than an animal. The corpse of a man lay there.
death	The personification of death. He seemed more content in death than he had ever been in life.
decease	A person’s death. Upon your decease the capital will pass to your grandchildren.
deceased	Someone who is no longer alive. The judge inferred that the deceased was confused as to the extent of his assets.
defunct	No longer in force or use; inactive. A defunct organization.
destroyed	Destroyed physically or morally. War left many cities destroyed.
die	A cutting tool that is fitted into a diestock and used for cutting male external screw threads on screws or bolts or pipes or rods. Whosoever believes in me shall never die.
doom	Decree or designate beforehand. A day like that of the last doom.
funeral	A sermon delivered at a funeral. The community would call him to preach the funeral.
inanimate	Showing no sign of life; lifeless. Inanimate objects.
inelastic	(of demand or supply) insensitive to changes in price or income. Economists speak of an inelastic price structure.
inoperative	Not working or taking effect. An inoperative law.
lifeless	Devoid of living things. A lifeless body.
misadventure	Death caused by a person accidentally while performing a legal act without negligence or intent to harm. The petty misdemeanours and misadventures of childhood.
morgue	Used in reference to a place that is quiet, gloomy, or cold. She put us in that draughty morgue of a sitting room.
mortician	An undertaker.
mortuary	Of or relating to a funeral. A mortuary temple.
perish	Suffer complete ruin or destruction. A great part of his army perished of hunger and disease.
resurrection	(in Christian belief) the rising of the dead at the Last Judgement. The resurrection of the country under a charismatic leader.
sepulchral	Of or relating to a sepulchre. The sepulchral darkness of the catacombs.
stillborn	(of newborn infant) showing no signs of life at birth; not liveborn. A stillborn plot to assassinate the President.
suffocation	Killing by depriving of oxygen. For years I could not escape feelings of suffocation.
tombstone	A large, flat inscribed stone standing or laid over a grave. His grin exposed his yellowed teeth like a row of tombstones.
unanimated	(of an image) not moving; still. He was very dry and unanimated.