deadly
/'dedli/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Causing or capable of causing death: Describes something with the potential to be fatal or lethal.
- Extremely effective or intense: Describes something so severe or potent that it resembles or could lead to a fatal outcome.
- Extremely accurate or unerring: Describes precision or aim that is unfailing.
- Complete or total: Used to emphasize an absolute, often negative, quality.
Adverb:
- Extremely, intensely: Used as an intensifier to mean "to an extreme degree."
- As if dead: In a manner resembling death.
Usage and Examples
Adjective:
- The boxer delivered a deadly blow to his opponent's jaw. (Capable of causing death or serious injury)
- Careless driving is a deadly habit. (Likely to cause death)
- The assassin had deadly accuracy with a rifle. (Extremely precise and effective)
- There was a deadly silence in the room after the announcement. (Complete and oppressive)
Adverb:
- The lecture was deadly dull. (Extremely dull)
- She is deadly serious about her career. (Extremely serious)
- The patient's face was deadly pale. (As pale as a dead person)
Advanced Usage
- "The seven deadly sins": In Christian theology, the seven vices (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth) considered to be the origin of other sins and spiritual death.
- "Deadly earnest": Completely and utterly serious.
- He was deadly earnest in his warning.
- "In deadly haste": With extreme urgency.
- They fled the scene in deadly haste.
Variants and Related Words
- Deadliness (noun): The quality of being deadly.
- The deadliness of the virus caused global concern.
- Dead (adjective): No longer alive. (Note: This is the root word, not a variant of "deadly").
- Deathly (adjective/adverb): Resembling or suggestive of death (e.g., ; ). Often similar to "deadly" but more commonly associated with the appearance or quality of death itself.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Lethal, fatal, mortal, virulent, venomous.
- Adverb: Extremely, exceedingly, terribly, dreadfully, deucedly.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- "Deadly enemy": A bitter, implacable foe.
- The two nations were deadly enemies for decades.
- "Deadly weapon": An object designed or used with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm.
- "Deadly dull/boring": (Informal) Extremely boring.
- "Deadly sin": See "The seven deadly sins" under Advanced Usage.
Adjective
- (of a disease) having a rapid course and violent effect
- exceedingly harmful
- involving loss of divine grace or spiritual death
- the seven deadly sins
- extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
- venomous snakes
- a virulent insect bite
- of an instrument of certain death
- deadly poisons
- lethal weapon
- a lethal injection
- causing or capable of causing death
- a fatal accident
- a deadly enemy
- mortal combat
- a mortal illness
Adverb
- (used as intensives) extremely
- she was madly in love
- deadly dull
- deadly earnest
- deucedly clever
- insanely jealous
- as if dead