lethal
52
4.1
- adjective
- /ˈliːθəl/
- Informal
:
demoledor
- As commander in chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.
Now I'm going to go in with this lethal purpley shade.
- Now I'm going to go in with this lethal purpley shade.
- If you don't, it sets up a caste system, and that caste system is lethal to democracy.
- So I knew that my edge was going to be intensity, massive focus, but being lethal with skill.
- I think Bill Buckley was the one who said that the libertarian brew is bracing when sipped and lethal when swallowed whole.
- Well, a fan came to Planet Comic Con and brought me actually lethal playing cards.
- And being completely content to dab on my hands from lethal emotional pain, I got onto a bus.
Examples
-
The team's strategy was lethal, ensuring they dominated the game from start to finish.
-
To be this lethal energy, you have to be right in mind and spirit.
-
So young and yet so lethal.
-
You are the most lethal warrior on the planet.
Academic text (2011) -
I often say that poverty is the most lethal weapon of mass destruction.
-
As they learn from their predecessors' mistakes, these new leaders may become even more lethal.
Academic text (2007) -
The educational pathways available to Americans can be, and often are, lethal to the cherished dreams of our culture.
Academic text (1992) -
If you don't, it sets up a caste system, and that caste system is lethal to democracy.
-
Her performance in the competition was lethal, leaving no doubt about her skill.
-
With a lethal combination of speed and precision, the athlete broke the previous record.
Synonyms
224
5.1
Causing very great damage or sadness
2
3.9
To a very high degree
Antonyms
Compounds
How Effective
Surface Forms
Morphology
lethal = leth + al
The figurative sense ('extremely effective') is a semantic extension of the basic 'deadly' meaning, but the morphological root 'leth' is not a recognizable English base, so the form-to-meaning mapping is only partially helpful to learners.
Etymology
Lethal comes from the Latin word letum, meaning 'death', and a helpful way to remember the figurative use is to think 'deadly effective'. So when something is very powerful or ends an opponent quickly, we call it lethal even if it does not kill.