deathly

adjective

ˈdeth-lē How to pronounce deathly (audio)
Definition of deathlynext
1
as in deadly
of, relating to, or suggestive of death his deathly pallor suggested that any attempt to find a pulse would be futile

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death smallpox is one deathly disease that medical science has been able to conquer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deathly The stranger watched it with deathly seriousness, forehead furrowed as if thinking through some impossible problem. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 Henry once again takes a deathly blow to his reputation, but escapes real consequences, now back living a cozy life as a lord. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 Mar. 2026 Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail. — Outside, 8 Jan. 2026 Despite the deathly dangers of fentanyl contamination, hard drug use has been enjoying record increases in Hollywood and beyond not seen since the hard-partying ’80s. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025 The deathly avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3 always scared me. — Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025 Californians must rise and reclaim our Golden State from the deathly and devastating grip of endless bureaucratic cancer. — Stepheny Price, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025 For all of those thousands of collegiate Olympians past and present, the roar of the football crowd will be drowned out by the deathly silence of their shuttered programs. — Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deathly
  1. deadly
  2. lethal
  3. mortal
  4. fatal
  5. dead
Adjective
  • Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The deadly fire erupted Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where fierce winds fueled flames that spread beyond the installation and into surrounding rural areas.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of deadly
Adjective
  • Just two days earlier, Florida executed James Robertson by lethal injection at the same prison.
    — Richard Nichols, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Prison staff gave Pike two doses of pentobarbital, the drug used for lethal injections.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of lethal
Adjective
  • Airing for eight seasons between 1964 and 1972, the fantastical series followed the daily adventures of a powerful witch who attempted to live as a typical suburban housewife alongside her mortal husband.
    — Justine Fisher, PEOPLE, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Waymo’s sales pitch is that its technology will remove all that mortal imperfection from our streets.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of mortal
Adjective
  • Another e-bike rider died over the weekend in Huntington Beach, marking the second fatal incident involving an e-bike in the coastal city in months.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Presley, Crawford’s son and Kaia’s older brother, died of a fatal overdose inside a rehab facility after years of struggling with addiction and his mental health.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Two men were found dead inside a Long Beach home after one of them exchanged shots with police and sparked a standoff with SWAT officers in a residential neighborhood early Saturday morning, police said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The film follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, with unexpected results.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dead

Browse Nearby Words

deathless
deathly
deaths
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Cite this Entry

“Deathly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deathly. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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