different between murderous vs deadly

English

Etymology

From murder +? -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns denoting possession or presence of a quality).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??d???s/, /?m??d??s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?d???s/, /?m?d??s/
• Homophone: murderess (one pronunciation)
• Hyphenation: mur?der?ous

Adjective

murderous (comparative more murderous, superlative most murderous)

1. Of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers.
2. Of a person: intending or likely to commit murder; bloodthirsty, homicidal.

   Synonym: (obsolete) assassinous

   Antonyms: nonmurderous, unmurderous
3. (often figuratively) Of an object: used to commit murder; capable of causing death; deadly, fatal.

   Antonyms: nonmurderous, unmurderous
4. (by extension) Very difficult.

   Synonyms: killing; see also Thesaurus:difficult

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:easy

Alternative forms

• murtherous (obsolete)

Derived terms

• murderously
• murderousness
• nonmurderous
• unmurderous

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• murder on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

From Middle English dedly, dedlych, dedlich, from Old English d?adl?? (adjective); corresponding to dead +? -ly. Cognate with Dutch dodelijk, German tödlich.

The adverb is from Middle English dedliche, from Old English d?adl??e (adverb), from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?d.li/

Adjective

deadly (comparative deadlier or more deadly, superlative deadliest or most deadly)

1. (obsolete, rare) Subject to death; mortal.
2. Causing death; lethal.
3. Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile.
4. Very accurate (of aiming with a bow, firearm, etc.).
5. (informal) Very boring.
6. (informal) Excellent, awesome, cool.

Usage notes

In Australia, the sense "excellent, awesome, cool" is especially used by, or in connection with, Indigenous Australians.

Derived terms

• deadliness
• deadly sin

Translations

Adverb

deadly (comparative more deadly, superlative most deadly)

1. (obsolete) Fatally, mortally.
2. In a way which suggests death.

3. Extremely, incredibly.

Usage notes

Some adjectives commonly collocating with deadly: serious, clever, good

Derived terms

• fail-deadly

Translations

Related terms

• dead