dead
dead — noun
1. people whose lives have ended, thought of together as one group.
people whose lives have ended, thought of together as one group.
Bilal's grandmother lit incense every year for the dead of her village.
the dead of + [place/event]
The names of all the dead were carved into the stone memorial.
passive: the dead as subject complement
A moment of silence was held for the dead of the earthquake.
Tamar placed flowers on the graves of the dead from both wars.
the dead from + [conflict]
Scholars still study the writings of the dead from ancient Egypt.
- honor the dead
- remember the dead
- bury the dead
- mourn the dead
- pray for the dead
- the dead of (a war / disaster / famine)
- the deceased
more formal, often used in official or legal contexts
- the departed
formal or euphemistic, used especially in religious or respectful settings
- the living
the natural opposite — people who are alive
Grammar Patterns
the dead + plural verb
Usage Note
Always used with the definite article 'the' when referring to people who have died as a group. This noun takes a plural verb: 'The dead are remembered every year.'
Common Mistakes
dead — adjective
- deadpositive
- deadercomparative
- deadestsuperlative
1. no longer alive; having stopped living — used of people, animals, or plants that
no longer alive; having stopped living — used of people, animals, or plants that once lived.
The old dog was found dead in the garden this morning.
be + found + dead (passive)
Three people were dead after the car hit a tree near the bridge.
be + dead (copular, stating result)
The flowers in the glass vase were dead because nobody had watered them.
Lakshmi keeps a photo of her grandfather, who was dead before she was born.
A dead fish floated to the top of the tank, and the children felt sad.
dead + noun (attributive, before animal)
- found dead
- declared dead
- dead body
- dead animal
- dead plant
Grammar Patterns
be + dead
dead + noun
Usage Note
Describes a final state, not an action. Unlike 'killed', 'dead' cannot take a by-phrase to name a cause — say 'The bird was killed by a cat', not 'The bird was dead by a cat'.
Common Mistakes
2. unable to feel anything in a part of the body, usually because cold or lack of b
unable to feel anything in a part of the body, usually because cold or lack of blood flow has stopped the nerves from working properly.
After sitting on the hard floor for three hours, Caio's legs were completely dead.
body part + be + dead (result of pressure)
Dewi's toes felt dead after she walked through the deep snow for too long.
The dentist gave Pedro a shot, and his whole mouth went dead for an hour.
body part + go + dead (mutative)
Takeshi hit his elbow on the door and his arm went dead for a minute.
When the doctor pressed her finger, the numb spot felt completely dead.
- go dead
- feel dead
- completely dead
- arm went dead
- leg went dead
- sensitive
able to feel touch or pain; the opposite of numb
Grammar Patterns
body part + be/go/feel + dead
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 13 (emotionally unresponsive), which describes a person's feelings — this sense applies only to physical body parts. 'Go dead' suggests a sudden loss of sensation; 'be dead' describes a continuing numb state.
Common Mistakes
3. containing nothing because the drink or other contents have all been used up — u
containing nothing because the drink or other contents have all been used up — used mainly of bottles, glasses, and other containers.
After the party, every bottle on the table was dead.
be + dead (informal, container)
The waiter picked up the dead glasses and carried them to the kitchen.
Nicholas picked up the dead beer can and threw it into the recycling bin.
dead + noun (attributive, container)
Quinn checked the wine bottle, but it was dead, so she opened a fresh one.
All the milk cartons in the fridge were dead, so Gabriel went to buy more.
- dead bottle
- dead glass
- dead beer can
- full
containing something; the direct opposite
Grammar Patterns
be + dead
dead + noun (bottle, glass)
Usage Note
Informal and used mostly in everyday conversation about drinks. In more formal writing, 'empty' is preferred. 'Dead bottle' is British-leaning; American speakers often say 'empty bottle' in all situations.
Common Mistakes
4. outside the active area of play in a sport, so that the game stops and no points
outside the active area of play in a sport, so that the game stops and no points can be scored.
The referee blew the whistle because the ball was dead.
ball + be + dead (sports context)
While the ball is dead, the players cannot score any points.
The crowd watched as the dead ball was brought back to the field.
dead + noun (attributive, sports)
In tennis, when the ball bounces twice the point is dead and play stops.
Caio kicked the ball out of the court, and the umpire declared it dead.
- dead ball
- ball is dead
- declared dead
- dead ball situation
- out of bounds
describes the ball's position rather than its legal status; more common in American sports
- out of play
the standard non-technical description; interchangeable in most contexts
Grammar Patterns
ball + be + dead
Usage Note
Only used for balls in sports with defined playing areas — common in football, tennis, basketball, rugby, and volleyball. A 'dead ball' means play has temporarily stopped; the ball will become 'live' again when play resumes.
5. very quiet and lacking any activity, excitement, or interest — used of a place,
very quiet and lacking any activity, excitement, or interest — used of a place, event, or period of time where nothing seems to happen.
The town centre was completely dead after nine o'clock at night.
place + be + dead (lacking activity)
Devika thought the party was dead, so she left after just half an hour.
The shops on this street are dead on Sundays because nobody comes here.
Pedro moved to the city because his village felt too dead for someone his age.
feel + dead (perception verb)
The market was dead this morning — only two customers walked through the whole time.
- dead town
- dead party
- dead market
- completely dead
- felt dead
Grammar Patterns
place/event + be + dead
Usage Note
Typically describes a place's atmosphere rather than an individual event. A 'dead party' means few guests and low energy, not that the party failed entirely. Common in informal conversation; in writing, 'quiet', 'inactive', or 'deserted' may be more neutral.
Common Mistakes
6. not working or operating, especially because the battery has run out, the power
not working or operating, especially because the battery has run out, the power has been cut off, or a fault has developed.
The car would not start because the battery was completely dead.
battery + be + dead (no power)
Ayana tried to call her mother, but her phone battery was dead.
The television screen went dead in the middle of the football match.
screen/device + go + dead (sudden failure)
Walid picked up the dead flashlight and looked around for new batteries.
dead + noun (attributive, device)
The engine went dead just as the boat reached the middle of the lake.
- battery is dead
- phone is dead
- engine went dead
- dead battery
- dead phone
- completely dead
- flat
used mainly for batteries that have completely run out of charge; British-leaning
- not working
neutral and general; works for any device and any kind of fault
- out of order
used for public machines such as ticket machines or lifts; more formal
Grammar Patterns
device + be/go + dead
Usage Note
'Go dead' describes a sudden failure while something is in use; 'be dead' describes the state after the failure. This sense applies to equipment, not to a phone network or internet connection — for those, use 'down' or 'off'.
Common Mistakes
7. so physically worn out that you have no energy left to continue with anything el
so physically worn out that you have no energy left to continue with anything else
After a double shift, Dr. Liang was dead and went straight to bed.
informal: be + dead for extreme physical tiredness
The hikers felt dead after walking twelve kilometres up the mountain trail in the heat.
I am dead, sighed Linh as she dropped onto the sofa after the long meeting.
informal: be + dead for extreme tiredness
Jude was so dead by Friday evening that he could barely lift his schoolbag.
Three hours of swimming left the whole class dead and barely able to walk home.
- dead tired
- dead beat
- absolutely dead
Grammar Patterns
be + dead
Usage Note
Used informally in everyday speech. More formal alternatives include exhausted, worn out, or drained.
Common Mistakes
8. total and without any doubt, limitation, or missing part; used to strengthen the
total and without any doubt, limitation, or missing part; used to strengthen the meaning of the noun that follows
The room fell into dead silence when the head teacher walked in.
collocation: dead silence — complete absence of sound
The car came to a dead stop right in front of the railway crossing gates.
Kabir stared at the exam paper in dead panic, unable to write a single answer.
There was dead certainty in Élise's voice when she declared the experiment had failed.
A dead calm settled over the lake just before the first flash of lightning appeared.
- dead silence
- dead stop
- dead certainty
- dead calm
- dead serious
Grammar Patterns
dead + abstract noun
Usage Note
Commonly pairs with abstract nouns describing states or qualities such as silence, stop, certainty, calm, and seriousness. Not used before concrete nouns (not a dead book, not a dead chair in this sense).
Common Mistakes
9. used before a limited set of adjectives to add very strong force to their meanin
used before a limited set of adjectives to add very strong force to their meaning; extremely or completely
Zola was dead certain that her team would win the science fair this year.
pattern: dead + adjective (dead certain / dead wrong / dead serious)
Christopher was dead wrong about the time of the meeting and arrived two hours late.
The old house stood dead quiet in the middle of the snow-covered field.
Eli is dead serious about learning Mandarin before his trip to Taipei next summer.
The internet connection was dead slow this morning, so Linh could not finish her homework.
- dead certain
- dead wrong
- dead serious
- dead quiet
- dead slow
- completely
more formal; works in a wider range of contexts
- totally
similar register but more common and broader in use
- extremely
neutral register; pairs with many more adjectives
Grammar Patterns
dead + adjective
Usage Note
Restricted to informal spoken English and a fixed set of adjectives. Common pairings include dead certain, dead wrong, dead serious, dead quiet, and dead slow. Not used with positive evaluative adjectives — speakers do not say dead good, dead beautiful, or dead kind.
Common Mistakes
10. strongly against a particular suggestion, proposal, idea, or course of action; r
strongly against a particular suggestion, proposal, idea, or course of action; refusing to support it
Brooke's parents were dead against the idea of her travelling alone through Southeast Asia.
pattern: be + dead + against + noun phrase
The committee was dead against selling the park land to property developers.
My grandfather is dead against any changes to the recipe he learned as a child.
The residents were dead against the proposal to build a factory near their neighbourhood.
- dead against
- opposed to
base phrase without the intensifier; less emphatic
- against
simpler and more common; neutral register
- hostile to
stronger connotation of active opposition
Grammar Patterns
be + dead + against + noun/gerund
Usage Note
Always used in the predicative pattern 'be + dead against + noun/gerund.' Cannot be followed by a that-clause — you cannot say 'I am dead against that we should...' The construction is fixed; the adverb dead modifies against, not a separate verb.
Common Mistakes
11. extremely determined to achieve a particular goal or obtain something specific;
extremely determined to achieve a particular goal or obtain something specific; unwilling to change one's aim
Reuben was dead set on becoming a pilot and spent every weekend taking flying lessons.
pattern: be + dead set + on + gerund (goal)
The school is dead set on improving its students' reading scores this academic year.
Elena was dead set on buying that camera, even though it was far too expensive.
The team was dead set on winning the championship after last year's disappointing loss.
- dead set on
- dead set against
- determined
more general and less emphatic; works with to-infinitive
- set on
the base phrase without dead; slightly softer
- resolved
more formal; suggests careful decision-making
Grammar Patterns
be + dead + set + on + noun/gerund
Usage Note
The fixed phrase is 'dead set on + noun/gerund' for determination toward a goal. When used with 'against' instead of 'on' (dead set against), the meaning shifts to firm opposition, similar to sense 10 but even stronger.
Common Mistakes
12. no longer existing, used, believed, or considered important in the present time;
no longer existing, used, believed, or considered important in the present time; belonging entirely to a past period
Latin is considered a dead language because nobody speaks it as a first language anymore.
collocation: dead language — no longer spoken natively
The tradition of sending handwritten letters is dead in the age of instant messaging.
Christopher's theory about the market was long dead, but he refused the evidence.
The belief that women should stay at home is dead in most modern societies.
Many ancient medical practices are now dead, replaced by modern science and better understanding.
- dead language
- dead tradition
- dead concept
- dead practice
- dead issue
Grammar Patterns
dead + noun
be + dead
Usage Note
Often applied to languages, traditions, beliefs, practices, and concepts that have lost their relevance. For languages, 'dead language' specifically means one with no native speakers (e.g. Latin, Ancient Greek), which is distinct from an 'extinct language' that has no speakers at all.
Common Mistakes
13. not showing or experiencing any emotion, as if the ability to feel sympathy or w
not showing or experiencing any emotion, as if the ability to feel sympathy or warmth has disappeared.
After losing her job, Nkechi felt dead inside and stopped answering her friends' calls.
collocation: dead inside
The soldier's eyes looked dead as he described what he had seen in the war.
Jude gave a dead answer when his parents asked why he had skipped school.
pattern: dead + noun for unresponsive reply
Christopher's voice was completely dead when he told us about the accident.
The refugees had grown dead to the suffering around them after months in the camp.
pattern: dead to [something]
- dead inside
- dead to the world
- dead eyes
- dead voice
- look dead
- feel dead
- go dead
- numb
focuses on the inability to feel, and can describe physical as well as emotional sensation
- emotionless
emphasises a lack of outward emotional display rather than inner emptiness
- unfeeling
slightly more formal, often implying a harsh lack of sympathy for others
- sensitive
emotionally receptive and responsive to others' feelings
- compassionate
actively concerned about the suffering of others
Grammar Patterns
dead + to + noun phrase
Usage Note
Often used in the pattern 'dead to [something/someone]', meaning emotionally unresponsive to that thing or person. The fixed phrase 'dead inside' describes a feeling of emotional emptiness that may be temporary or long-lasting.
Common Mistakes
be dead and gone
idiomNo longer alive; having died and passed away.
When I am dead and gone, my children will inherit this house.
Do you think people will remember us after we are dead and gone?
To look exactly like someone else.
Maya is a dead ringer for her mother when she was young.
That actor is a dead ringer for my old math teacher.
Completely dead or no longer relevant or interesting.
That old fashion trend is as dead as a dodo now.
After the scandal, his political career was dead as a dodo.
Completely dead; no longer alive at all.
The mouse in the trap was as dead as a doornail.
After the crash, the engine was dead as a doornail.
a dead duck
idiomA plan or idea that has failed or is certain to fail.
The new project is a dead duck because we have no money.
His proposal was a dead duck from the start.
An influence that controls or limits something in a negative way.
The dead hand of tradition prevents many changes in the village.
We must escape the dead hand of outdated regulations.
dead in the water
idiomHaving failed and with little hope of future success.
After losing the first three games, their season is dead in the water.
The peace talks are dead in the water after the attack.
dead meat
idiomIn serious trouble or about to be punished severely.
If Dad finds out you broke the window, you're dead meat.
The boss said if I'm late again, I'm dead meat.
dead on arrival
idiomAlready dead when arriving at a hospital, usually after an accident.
The accident victim was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Paramedics said the patient was dead on arrival.
dead to the world
idiomIn a very deep sleep, difficult to wake up.
After the long hike, Tom was dead to the world on the sofa.
The baby is dead to the world and won't wake up for hours.
flog a dead horse
idiomTo waste effort trying to do something that is no longer possible.
Arguing with him about politics is flogging a dead horse.
Trying to sell ice in winter is like flogging a dead horse.
knock somebody dead
idiomTo impress someone very much, especially with your appearance or performance.
Sara looked stunning in her dress and knocked everyone dead at the party.
You'll knock them dead with your piano playing tonight.
over my dead body
idiomUsed to express strong opposition to something happening.
He wants to sell the family house? Over my dead body!
You will marry him over my dead body.
Used to say that someone would never wear certain clothes or be in a particular situation.
Maya wouldn't be seen dead in those old-fashioned shoes.
Brian wouldn't be caught dead at a karaoke bar.
dead — adverb
1. used before certain adjectives to add strong emphasis, meaning 'completely' or '
used before certain adjectives to add strong emphasis, meaning 'completely' or 'absolutely' — for example, when you are dead serious about a plan, you are entirely serious, or when someone is dead right, they are fully correct.
Joon is dead serious about becoming a doctor and studies every night.
dead + serious for complete seriousness
The online map showed a right turn, but Karim was dead certain it was left.
dead + certain for absolute certainty
Élise knew she was dead right about the address when she saw the blue door.
dead + right for complete correctness
Liam's answer on the maths test was dead wrong, so he lost full marks.
Devika promised she would be there, and she was dead honest about her plans.
dead + honest for full honesty
- dead serious
- dead right
- dead wrong
- dead certain
- dead honest
- dead sure
- absolutely
more formal; works in both speech and writing
- completely
standard register, not limited to informal use
- totally
similar informality but broader range of adjectives
Grammar Patterns
dead + adjective (serious, right, wrong, certain, honest)
Usage Note
Frequently used in informal spoken English. Only works with adjectives that express a strong, absolute quality — it sounds unnatural with mild or gradable adjectives like 'happy' or 'nice'. Do not use this in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
2. suddenly and completely, especially describing a movement or sound that stops wi
suddenly and completely, especially describing a movement or sound that stops with no warning — for instance, a runner who stops dead has gone from full motion to complete stillness in an instant.
Hao stopped dead when he saw the snake lying on the footpath.
stop dead — sudden, complete stop of movement
The old delivery van came to a dead halt right before the railway crossing.
come to a dead halt — vehicle stopping suddenly
Adaeze's phone went dead in the middle of her call with the manager.
go dead — device suddenly stops functioning
The children's conversation stopped dead when their father raised his voice.
- stop dead
- go dead
- come to a dead halt
- dead stop
Grammar Patterns
stop dead
go dead
come to a dead halt/stop
Usage Note
Common in narrative and storytelling contexts. 'Stop dead' and 'come to a dead stop/halt' describe physical movement. 'Go dead' usually refers to electronic devices or phone lines cutting off. 'Dead' in these phrases does not have a literal meaning related to death.
Common Mistakes
3. exactly in a particular direction or position, without any deviation to either s
exactly in a particular direction or position, without any deviation to either side — for example, if a store is dead ahead, it is straight in front of you, and if a ball lands dead centre, it hits the exact middle point.
The post office is dead ahead, about two blocks past the train station.
dead ahead — directly in front
Alessia's arrow landed dead centre of the target at the tournament.
dead centre — exactly in the middle
The bus stop is dead opposite the library entrance across the street.
dead opposite — exactly across from
Gabriel's guess about the final score was dead on — he predicted it perfectly.
- dead ahead
- dead centre
- dead on
- dead opposite
- dead straight
Grammar Patterns
dead + adverb/preposition (ahead, centre, on, opposite)
Usage Note
Tied to a small set of fixed expressions: 'dead ahead', 'dead centre', 'dead on', 'dead opposite'. You cannot freely substitute other direction words — 'dead behind' or 'dead left' are not used. 'Dead on' can also mean 'exactly right' about an opinion or estimate.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
Deceased is the most formal of these synonyms and is used almost exclusively for humans in legal, medical, or official contexts (the deceased victim's family). Lifeless is more dramatic and less technical — it emphasises a lack of movement or spirit rather than biological death, so a person who falls lifeless or a lifeless performance uses the same word differently. Departed is a euphemistic, gentle alternative used mainly in obituaries or religious settings (our dearly departed friend). Extinct applies only to entire species or categories that no longer exist at all (an extinct language, an extinct species), never to individual people or objects. For everyday use, dead is the neutral, normal word; deceased suits official writing; lifeless adds dramatic colour; departed softens the news; extinct covers whole groups that have completely disappeared.
Common collocations
Etymology
Dead comes from Old English dēad (meaning 'having stopped living'), which traces back to the Proto-Germanic *daudaz, from the Proto-Indo-European root *dheu- ('to die'). The word has been used in English for over a thousand years. The senses of 'complete' (dead silence) and 'exactly' (dead centre) developed later in Middle English, extending the idea of something being as still or as absolute as a dead thing.
First known use
12th century
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun