DROP-DEAD Definition & Meaning

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drop-dead

[ drop-ded ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

inspiring awe, astonishment, or envy:
a drop-dead guest list; a drop-dead sable coat.
being the most extreme limit or possibility:
What's the drop-dead date for handing in term papers? That is our drop-dead offer.

drop-dead

adverb

informal.
outstandingly or exceptionally
drop-dead gorgeous

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of drop-dead¹

First recorded in 1965–70

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Idioms and Phrases

An expression of anger, rejection, or indignation toward someone. For example, I should do all that work for you? Drop dead! This rude imperative is usually hyperbolic, that is, the speaker is not literally asking someone to die on the spot. [c. 1930] Curiously, the adjective (and adverb) drop-dead is not at all insulting. Rather, it means “dazzling” or “awe-inspiring,” as in She wore a drop-dead outfit that all the other women admired . This usage originated in slangy journalism in the 1960s.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He was as militant a union man as I ever met, and I have met a few in my day, and moreover, he was drop-dead brilliant.

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She claimed he said she was “so drop-dead gorgeous” and then invited her to his home.

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Pushed out of mind by a handful of deadline delays, Californians now face another drop-dead date to apply for the Real ID if they plan to travel domestically next year.

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For putting together a ticket, Mr. Davis said, “April 15 is kind of their drop-dead date.”

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The deal has a “drop-dead” date of July, until which JetBlue must use its best-faith efforts to close the transaction, including appealing the judge’s ruling.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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