Definition

The quality or state of being able to cause death or serious harm.

Example

The deadliness of the virus made it a serious threat to public health.

Conversation

Did you hear about that new horror movie everyone's talking about?

Yeah, I heard it's supposed to have a high level of deadliness in its scenes.

I hope it's not just gore for the sake of it.

Me too! I prefer a good story over pure deadliness.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Deadliness → It is formed from "dead" (from Old English "dead", meaning no longer alive) and "-ness" (a suffix meaning the state or quality of). The word "deadliness" refers to the state or quality of being dead or causing death.

Memory Tip

Think of the state of being 'no longer alive' ('dead') and how the '-ness' suffix indicates a quality. This helps you remember that 'deadliness' refers to the quality of causing death.

Visually Confused Words