ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dead on

idiom
Meaning

Exactly at.


Examples
SIMPLE

The train arrived dead on time.

CONTEXTUAL

She guessed the number of jellybeans in the jar dead on, winning the entire prize.

COMPLEX

His assessment of the political situation proved dead on, despite the skepticism of his colleagues at the time.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beat a dead horse

    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

  2. 02

    brown bread

    [Cockney slang]dead

  3. 03

    come back from the dead

    To experience a resurgence after one's productive years are assumed to have ended.

  4. 04

    dead 'n' buried

    Contraction of dead and buried.

  5. 05

    dead air

    An unintended interruption in a broadcast during which nothing is transmitted: a silent period on radio or a silent period with no picture on television.

  6. 06

    dead and buried

    Of an issue, moot, passed, irrelevant, forgotten.

  7. 07

    dead asleep

    Sleeping in a deep sleep

  8. 08

    dead cat bounce

    A temporary recovery in the price of a financial instrument which has fallen rapidly and is expected to fall further in the long run.

Last updated April 17, 2026