deadly

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Able to cause death.

   The snake's bite can be deadly without quick treatment.

2. 2
   adj

   Extremely accurate and effective.

   The striker has a deadly aim in front of goal.

3. 3
   adj

   Showing strong hatred and a wish to destroy.

   The two families had been deadly enemies for years.

Common collocations

• deadly weapon Adjective + noun

From Middle English dedly, dedlych, dedlich, from Old English dēadlīċ (adjective), from Proto-West Germanic *dauþalīk, from Proto-Germanic *dauþalīkaz (“deadly”, literally “deathly”). By surface analysis, dead + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian dodelk (“deadly”), West Frisian deadlik (“deadly”), Dutch dodelijk (“deadly”), German tödlich (“deadly”), Swedish dödlig (“deadly, fatal, mortal”), Icelandic dauðlegur (“mortal”). The adverb is from Middle English dedliche, from Old English dēadlīċe (adverb), from the adjective.

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