deadinthewater

IPA/dˈɛdɪnθjˌuːeɪtə/
IPA/dˈɛdɪnθjˌuːeɪɾɚ/

deadinthewater — phrasal verb

  • deadinthewaterbase form
  • deadinthewaters3rd person singular
  • deadinthewatering-ing form
  • deadinthewateredpast simple

1. to reach a stage in a project, plan, or process where all forward movement stops

1.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

to reach a stage in a project, plan, or process where all forward movement stops and no clear way to restart it exists.

例句

The peace talks have been dead in the water since the two leaders refused to meet face to face.

collocation: talks / negotiations + dead in the water

Without a new round of funding, the hospital's expansion project is dead in the water.

conditional: without + noun + be dead in the water

同義詞
  • stalled

    neutral and widely used; lacks the idiomatic flavour of 'dead in the water'

  • at a standstill

    slightly more formal; emphasises a complete lack of movement

  • on hold

    suggests the delay may be temporary, whereas 'dead in the water' implies a serious blockage

反義詞

文法句型

subject + be + dead in the water

subject + lie/remain + dead in the water

用法筆記

Frequently used for negotiations, reform efforts, construction projects, or other multi-stage processes that have lost their initial energy. Unlike 'broken' or 'stopped', this phrase carries the idea that the project was once active but is now stuck with no obvious way forward.

常見錯誤

❌My phone is dead in the water.
✅The trade agreement is dead in the water.
💡This idiom is used for plans, projects, and processes, not for physical objects that simply stop working.

2. to be in a situation from the very beginning where a plan, idea, or attempt cann

2.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

to be in a situation from the very beginning where a plan, idea, or attempt cannot possibly succeed.

例句

The garden proposal was dead in the water once the council had no funds left.

pattern: be dead in the water + once + [fatal event]

After the damaging report was published, the CEO's re-election campaign was dead in the water.

temporal: after + [cause] + be dead in the water

同義詞
  • doomed

    more general; can describe people, relationships, or efforts, not just plans

  • hopeless

    broader emotional range; less business-oriented

  • finished

    informal and final; less specific about the reason for failure

反義詞
  • viable

    formal; describes a plan that has a realistic chance of working

  • promising

    optimistic; describes something that looks likely to succeed

文法句型

subject + be + dead in the water

subject + was/were + dead in the water + before/by/after + [event]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (STALLED): sense 1 describes something that was moving but got stuck; sense 2 describes something that was hopeless from the start or became hopeless after a single decisive event. The object of a preposition such as 'before' or 'after' often names the event that sealed the outcome.

常見錯誤

❌The plan is dead in the water because the team is working slowly.
✅The plan was dead in the water the moment the board rejected the budget.
💡This sense requires a decisive, fatal cause, not mere slowness.