deadly
deadly Lexical Profile
deadly Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Causing or capable of causing death.
"Researchers are working to develop an effective treatment for the deadly virus."
Filled with or Marked by extreme hostility or implacable hatred.
"The two rival merchants remained deadly competitors throughout their careers."
Extremely accurate, precise, or effective.
"The critic was known for her deadly wit and unerring eye for detail."
Extremely dull, monotonous, or dreary (informal).
"The three-hour budget lecture was positively deadly."
• adverb
To an extreme or intense degree; completely.
"The committee members were deadly serious about reforming the safety regulations."
In a manner resembling death.
"The patient looked deadly pale after the long procedure."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because 'deadly' already ends in '-ly', it rarely takes an additional suffix; as an adverb, it typically modifies adjectives (e.g., 'deadly serious', 'deadly pale'), whereas 'fatally' or 'mortally' is used to modify verbs.
• Rhymes for deadly
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English dēadlīc ('mortal, subject to death, or causing death'), formed from dēad ('dead') and the suffix -līc ('-ly').