deadly

Meanings

Adjective

• Subject to death; mortal.
• Causing death; lethal.
• Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile.
• Very accurate (of aiming with a bow, firearm, etc.).
• Very boring.
• Excellent, awesome, cool.

Adverb

• Fatally, mortally.
• In a way which suggests death.
• Extremely, incredibly.

Origin

• From Middle English dedly, dedlych, dedlich, from Old English dēadlīċ; corresponding to dead + -ly. Cognate with Dutch dodelijk, German tödlich.
• The adverb is from Middle English dedliche, from Old English dēadlīċe, from the adjective.