# stone dead

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stone-dead
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Utterly dead.

## Examples

- The old battery is stone dead.
- I tried to start the car this morning, but the engine was stone dead.
- After the sudden power failure, the entire computer system was left stone dead, forcing the staff to rely on paper records.

## Origin

From Middle English stone-dede, stan-ded, and standed, equivalent to the compound of stone and dead. It follows the established Germanic pattern of using a noun for intensification, appearing alongside related formations such as stone-cold and stone-hard.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.