adjective2. not endowed with life; inanimate
3. no longer in use, valid, effective, or relevant
a dead issue
a dead language
4. unresponsive or unaware; insensible
he is dead to my strongest pleas
5. lacking in freshness, interest, or vitality
a dead handshake
6. devoid of physical sensation; numb
his gums were dead from the anaesthetic
7. resembling death; deathlike
a dead sleep
8. no longer burning or hot
dead coals
9. (of flowers or foliage) withered; faded
10. (prenominal) (intensifier)
a dead stop
a dead loss
12. electronicsa. drained of electric charge; fully discharged
the battery was dead
b. not connected to a source of potential difference or electric charge
13. lacking acoustic reverberation
a dead sound
a dead surface
14. sporta. (of a ball, etc) out of play
b. having no influence on the overall result of a competition (esp in the phrase a dead rubber)
15. unerring; accurate; precise (esp in the phrase a dead shot)
16. lacking resilience or bounce
a dead ball
17. printinga. (of type) set but no longer needed for use
Compare standing (sense 7) b. (of copy) already composed
18. not yielding a return; idle
dead capital
19. informal certain to suffer a terrible fate; doomed
you're dead if your mother catches you at that
20. (of colours) not glossy or bright; lacklustre
22. military shielded from view, as by a geographic feature or environmental condition
a dead zone
dead space
23. dead as a doornail
24. dead from the neck up
25. dead in the water
26. dead to the world
27. leave for dead
28. wouldn't be seen dead in