deathly
/ˈdɛθli/ adjective, adverb
Forms deathlier deathliest
- adjective Appearing as though dead, or on the verge of death. “He has a deathly pallor.”
- adjective Deadly, fatal, causing death.
- adjective Extreme. “He has a deathly fear of crocodiles.”
- adverb In a way that resembles death. “He was deathly pale.”
- adverb Extremely, dreadfully. “The water was deathly cold.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English dethlich, from Old English dēaþlīċ, equivalent to death + -ly.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “deathly”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details