dead

[ ded ]
/ dɛd /

adjective, dead·er, dead·est.

noun

the period of greatest darkness, coldness, etc.: the dead of night; the dead of winter.
the dead, dead persons collectively: Prayers were recited for the dead.

adverb

Idioms for dead

    dead in the water, completely inactive or inoperable; no longer in action or under consideration: Our plans to expand the business have been dead in the water for the past two months.
    dead to rights, in the very act of committing a crime, offense, or mistake; red-handed.

Origin of dead

First recorded before 950; Middle English deed, Old English dēad; cognate with Gothic dauths, German tot, Old Norse daudhr; originally, past participle. See die1

SYNONYMS FOR dead

ANTONYMS FOR dead

synonym study for dead

1. Dead, deceased, extinct, lifeless refer to something that does not have or appear to have life. Dead is usually applied to something that had life but from which life is now gone: dead trees. Deceased, a more formal word than dead, is applied to human beings who no longer have life: a deceased member of the church. Extinct is applied to a species, genus, or the like, no member of which is any longer alive: Mastodons are now extinct. Lifeless is applied to something that may or may not have had life but that does not have it or appear to have it now: The lifeless body of a child was taken out of the water. Minerals consist of lifeless materials.

OTHER WORDS FROM dead

dead·ness, noun half-dead, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for dead in the water

dead
/ (dɛd) /

adjective

noun

a period during which coldness, darkness, or some other quality associated with death is at its most intense the dead of winter

adverb

(intensifier) dead easy; stop dead; dead level
dead on exactly right

Derived forms of dead

deadness, noun

Word Origin for dead

Old English dēad; related to Old High German tōt, Old Norse dauthr; see die 1

Medical definitions for dead in the water

dead
[ dĕd ]

adj.

Having lost life; no longer alive.
Lacking feeling or sensitivity; unresponsive.

Idioms and Phrases with dead in the water (1 of 2)

dead in the water

Unable to function or move; inoperable. For example, Without an effective leader, our plans for expansion are dead in the water. Originally referring to a crippled ship, this colloquialism was soon applied more broadly.

Idioms and Phrases with dead in the water (2 of 2)

dead