deadly
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.able to cause death.
adj.capable of causing death; lethal or fatal in effect.
Simple“The cobra has a deadly bite that can kill a person in hours.”
In context“The researchers discovered that even a minute dose of the toxin proved deadly to most mammals within the ecosystem.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.very accurate and effective, especially when aiming a weapon or a ball.
adj.highly accurate or effective; unerring in aim or execution.
Simple“The striker has a deadly shot that rarely misses the goal.”
In context“His reputation as a deadly marksman ensured that few dared to challenge him in the regional competition.”
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.extremely dull or uninteresting.
adj.extremely dull, tedious, or monotonous. Informal in register.
Simple“The three-hour lecture on tax law was absolutely deadly.”
In context“The meeting was so deadly that several board members were visibly struggling to remain awake during the financial presentation.”
Antonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
adj.very good or cool.
adj.excellent, impressive, or highly desirable. Primarily used in Irish and Newfoundland dialects.
Simple“That new jacket you bought is deadly.”
In context“The local band played a deadly set at the pub last night, drawing a massive crowd from the surrounding villages.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is specific to certain regions like Ireland; learners should be aware it may not be understood in the US or UK.
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.used to emphasize an adjective, meaning 'very' or 'completely'.
adv.used as an intensifier meaning extremely or utterly; often collocates with 'serious', 'dull', or 'quiet'.
Simple“The room went deadly quiet when the principal walked in.”
In context“The CEO was deadly serious when she announced that the company would be restructuring its entire European division.”
UsageCommonly used in the fixed phrase 'deadly serious'.
Synonyms
Usage deadly attacks · deadly earthquake · deadly weapon
“An Australian woman, Erin Patterson, was found guilty of murdering three of her husband’s relatives and trying to kill a fourth by serving them deadly mushrooms.”
“Deivi Delfín and his brother moved to Colombia after a quake in Venezuela killed their mother, but were caught in another deadly disaster.”
From Middle English dedly, dedlych, dedlich, from Old English dēadlīċ (adjective), from Proto-West Germanic dauþalīk, from Proto-Germanic dauþalīkaz (“deadly”, literally “deathly”). By surface analysis, dead + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian dodelk (“deadly”), West Frisian deadlik (“deadly”), Dutch dodelijk (“deadly”), German tödlich (“deadly”), Swedish dödlig (“deadly, fatal, mortal”), Icelandic dauðlegur (“mortal”). The adverb is from Middle English dedliche, from Old English dēadlīċe (adverb), from the adjective.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.