deadly
/ˈdɛdli/
adjectiveadverb
Common
1.adj.causing or capable of causing death
“a fatal accident”
2.adj.of an instrument of certain death
“deadly poisons”
3.adj.extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
“venomous snakes”
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deadly and dearly differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. deadly means “causing or capable of causing death”. dearly means “in a sincere and heartfelt manner”. deadly is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɛdli/
1.adj.causing or capable of causing death
“a fatal accident”
2.adj.of an instrument of certain death
“deadly poisons”
3.adj.extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
“venomous snakes”
/ˈdɪɹli/
1.adv.in a sincere and heartfelt manner
“I would dearly love to know”
2.adv.at a great cost
“he paid dearly for the food”
3.adv.with affection
“she loved him dearly”
| deadly | dearly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛdli/ | /ˈdɪɹli/ |
| Said | DED-lee | DIR-lee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adverb |
| Senses | 8 | 3 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | deathly, mortal | in a heartfelt way |
Full entry for deadly · Full entry for dearly · More comparisons