dead
English meaning: Dead
Definition
(with "the", a demonstrative, or a possessive) Those who have died.
Example
“Have respect for the dead.”
Another example: “My phone is dead — I forgot to charge it last night.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A common noun and adjective: as a noun (with 'the') it means those who have died ('honour the dead'); as an adjective it means no longer alive, or inactive/dull ('a dead battery', 'a dead phone line', 'dead silence'). Also intensifying slang ('dead easy', British). Very polysemous.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old English 'dead' (dead), of Germanic origin, related to 'die'; attested before the 12th century.
Synonyms
Antonyms / Opposites
Related Words
Common Collocations
- the dead
- dead battery
- dead end
- dead silence
- drop dead
- dead serious
Word Forms
dead (adj/n); deadly (adj); deaden (v); deadness (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B