deadlier

Variant of deadly

adjective deadlier, deadliest

  1. causing death or likely to cause death: a deadly poison
  2. to the death; mortal or implacable: deadly combat, deadly enemies
  3. typical of death: deadly pallor
  4. very harmful; destructive
    1. extreme or excessive: deadly silence
    2. out-and-out; utter: with deadly gravity
  5. oppressively tiresome: a deadly bore
  6. perfectly accurate: deadly aim
  7. Theol. causing spiritual death: the seven deadly sins

Origin: ME dedlich < OE deadlic: see dead & -ly

adverb deadlier, deadliest

  1. in a way suggestive of death: to lie deadly still
  2. extremely or excessively: deadly serious

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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