drop-dead

11 6.7

Very attractive or impressive

idiom
/ˈdrɑpˌdɛd/

Informal

: impresionantemente

She stepped onto the red carpet looking drop-dead gorgeous in her stunning gown.
drop-dead gorgeous
drop-dead beautiful
drop-dead handsome

She is a drop dead gorgeous gay woman who's sassy AF on Twitter.

Examples

I mean, this is a drop dead bathing suit you're wearing.

Hey Good Lookin' (1982)
Ed, she was drop-dead gorgeous.

Beyond the Rave (2008)
Can you picture how drop dead gorgeous this city is in the rain?

Midnight in Paris (2011)
Well, you can well, you're drop dead gorgeous and single.
It's just you are drop-dead, crazy gorgeous.

Spanglish (2004)
- Was she drop-dead gorgeous or what?

Rumor Has It... (2005)
You are drop-dead gorgeous and we just want to know...

Two for the Money (2005)
You will be drop-dead gorgeous.

Fiction book (2001)
I'm gonna look drop-dead gorgeous.

Crossroads (2002)
The most drop-dead gorgeous woman you'll ever see.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

Synonyms

stunningly

vsdrop-dead

23 4.4

In a very beautiful or impressive way

emphasizes extreme physical attractiveness as an intensifier rather than general impressiveness

dead

vsdrop-dead

1 7.8

Completely used to show strong emphasis

focuses on extreme attractiveness rather than general totality or completeness

Antonyms

ordinary

683 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

unattractive

37 1.8

Not pleasant to look at or to the senses

How Attractive

drop-dead

Informal

11 6.7

stunning

210 3.7

beautiful

∞ 1.0

good-looking

278 1.2

attractive

680 1.0

plain

50 2.5

Surface Forms

drop-dead positive

Morphology

drop-dead = drop + dead (semi-transparent) = drop + dead

The components 'drop' and 'dead' are literal words and the phrase combines them metaphorically, but the intensifier meaning 'extremely attractive' is an idiomatic extension not strictly derivable by simple compositional rules.

Etymology

Drop-dead comes from the simple words drop and dead, creating the image of someone so surprised or struck by beauty that they might 'drop dead'. So it is used as a strong way to say something is extremely attractive or impressive.