deadly Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite causing or capable of causing death
    deathly; mortal.
    • a fatal accident
    • a deadly enemy
    • mortal combat
    • a mortal illness
  2. adjective satellite of an instrument of certain death
    lethal.
    • deadly poisons
    • lethal weapon
    • a lethal injection
  3. adjective satellite extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
    venomous; virulent.
    • venomous snakes
    • a virulent insect bite
  4. adjective satellite involving loss of divine grace or spiritual death
    mortal.
    • the seven deadly sins
  5. adjective satellite exceedingly harmful
    baneful; pestilent; pernicious.
  6. adjective satellite (of a disease) having a rapid course and violent effect
  7. adverb as if dead
    lifelessly.
  8. adverb (used as intensives) extremely
    insanely; deucedly; madly; devilishly.
    • she was madly in love
    • deadly dull
    • deadly earnest
    • deucedly clever
    • insanely jealous

WordNet

Dead"ly adjective
Definitions
  1. Capable of causing death; mortal; fatal; destructive; certain or likely to cause death; as, a deadly blow or wound.
  2. Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile; flagitious; as, deadly enemies.
    Thy assailant is quick, skillful, and deadly. Shak.
  3. Subject to death; mortal. Obs.
    The image of a deadly man. Wyclif (Rom. i. 23).
Dead"ly adverb
Definitions
  1. In a manner resembling, or as if produced by, death. "Deadly pale." Shak.
  2. In a manner to occasion death; mortally.
    The groanings of a deadly wounded man. Ezek. xxx. 24.
  3. In an implacable manner; destructively.
  4. Extremely. Obs. "Deadly weary." Orrery. "So deadly cunning a man." Arbuthnot.

Webster 1913