deadlock

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈdɛdˌlɑk/ UK /ˈdedˌlɒk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a situation in which no progress can be made; a standstill

Negotiations reached a deadlock over wages.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a situation in which no... stalemate impasse standstillstandoffgridlockstand-off

Opposites

agreement breakthrough resolution progress

Word family

Derived forms deadlocked

Related forms dead lock

Etymology

A compound of dead (in the intensive sense 'complete, absolute') and lock, attested from the late 18th century, originally meaning a complete stoppage. Both elements descend from Old English (dēad, loca).

dēad Old English loca Old English

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Topics

Actions & Processes

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# deadlock

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛdˌlɑk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdedˌlɒk/

## Meanings
1. a situation in which no progress can be made; a standstill

## Examples
- Negotiations reached a deadlock over wages.

## Synonyms
- stalemate
- impasse
- standstill
- standoff
- gridlock
- stand-off

## Antonyms
- agreement
- breakthrough
- resolution
- progress

## Derived Forms
- deadlocked

## Related Forms
- dead
- lock

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dēad
- Root: loca

## Etymology
A compound of dead (in the intensive sense 'complete, absolute') and lock, attested from the late 18th century, originally meaning a complete stoppage. Both elements descend from Old English (dēad, loca).

## AI Etymology
Deadlock is a compound of dead (in the intensive sense 'complete, absolute') and lock, attested from the late 18th century, originally meaning a complete stoppage. Both elements descend from Old English (dēad, loca). The ancestry passes through Old English dēad and Old English loca. In present use as noun and verb, it means "a situation in which no progress can be made; a standstill", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. As a compound, its meaning is assembled from the two visible parts rather than from an opaque borrowing. Related words include dead and lock; derived forms include deadlocked.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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