Advertisement
List of idioms with the word Dead and the meanings. Commonly used idioms related to “dead” and their meanings along with example sentences.
Idioms With Dead
- “To be dead tired” – This means to be extremely exhausted. Example: “After working a double shift, I’m dead tired and just want to go to bed.”
- “To be dead serious” – This means to be completely serious and not joking. Example: “When I told you to leave, I was dead serious. Don’t come back until you’ve thought about what you’ve done.”
- “Dead in the water” – This means to be ineffective or inactive. Example: “Without proper funding, the project is dead in the water and won’t be able to move forward.”
- “Dead weight” – This means to be a burden or hindrance to progress. Example: “I need to get rid of the dead weight in my team and find someone who can actually contribute.”
- “Dead on arrival” – This means to be ineffective from the start. Example: “The proposal was dead on arrival, as it was full of errors and lacked critical information.”
- “Dead man walking” – This means to be in a situation of impending doom. Example: “After being convicted, he felt like a dead man walking and feared for his life.”
- “Dead as a doornail” – This means to be completely dead or inactive. Example: “The power went out and all the electronics are dead as a doornail.”
dead cat on the line
Rur. [for something to be]wrong. I’m afraid there’s a dead cat on the line over at Martha’s place. I haven’t heard from them for days.
dead ahead
straight ahead; directly ahead.
- Look out! There is a cow in the road dead ahead.
- The farmer said that the town we wanted was dead ahead.
dead and buried
gone forever. (Refers literally to persons and figuratively to ideas and other things.)
Advertisement
- No w that Uncle George is dead and buried, we can read his will.
- That kind of thinking is dead and buried.
dead in someone’s or something’s tracks
exactly where someone or something is at the moment; at this instant. (This does not usually have anything to do with death. The phrase is often used with stop.)
- Her unkind words stopped me dead in my tracks.
- When I heard the rattlesnake, I stopped dead in my tracks.
- The project came to a halt dead in its tracks.
dead loss
a total loss.
- My investment was a dead loss.
- This car is a dead loss. It was a waste of money.
dead on one’s or its feet
exhausted; worn out; no longer useful.
- He can’t teach well anymore. He’s dead on his feet.
- This inefficient com-pany is dead on its feet.
dead set against someone or something
totally opposed to someone or something.
- I’m dead set against the new tax proposal.
- Everyone is dead set against the mayor.
dead to the world
tired; exhausted; sleeping soundly. (Compare to dead on one’s feet.)
- I’ve had such a hardday. I’m really dead to the world.
- Look at her sleep. She’s dead to the world.