You searched for: “deadly
deadly, deathly
deadly (DED lee) (adjective)
1. Relating to something which causes or is able to cause death: Some of the people had a more deadly form of the disease that was spreading throughout the world.
2. Extremely accurate and effective: Bradford made a deadly aim with his bow and arrow.
3. Extreme or complete: A deadly silence followed Merle's question to the audience.
deathly (DETH lee) (adjective)
1. Suggestive of the cessation of life: Gwen's face had a deathly pallor as the result of having thought she had seen a ghost.
2. In a way that is close to death or dying: Orville became deathly ill.

Freda's face became deathly pale when she listened to the reports of the deadly effect of the avalanche on the mountain village.

Units related to: “deadly
(Latin: death, deadly; fatal, lifeless; kill, killing; die, dying; mortal, mortality; destructive)
(Latin: death, kill, deadly, murderous, destructive)
(unaware that she was a carrier of a deadly disease)
(the most deadly five "enemies" of the brain: depression, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, stroke, and autism)
Word Entries at Get Words containing the term: “deadly
deadly sin (s) (noun), deadly sins (pl)
One of the seven sins which in the Christian religion are considered to be very serious and are believed to cause other sins: The seven deadly sins are usually considered to be pride, envy, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, and sloth (laziness).
This entry is located in the following unit: sin-, sinn- (page 1)
Seven Deadly Sins (pl) (noun)
The cardinal sins enumerated by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century: sloth, covetousness, anger, lust, gluttony, envy, and pride: According to some Christian beliefs, the sins that lead to damnation are specifically the Seven Deadly Sins of anger, avarice, envy, gluttony, lechery, pride, and sloth.

"Seven" is a number which has a mystical significance for many cultures and traditions. The early Christian church listed several things in sevens. One of the most influential of these lists is that of the Seven Deadly Sins, made by Pope Gregory the Great (540 AD to 605 AD).

The medieval theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas discussed these sins in detail in his Summa Theologica, and as a result, he made them widely known.

  • Anger, wrath, or ire; a feeling of hostility or rage, that can often result violence.
  • Avarice, covetousness, or greed; that is, the a dominant desire for material gain.
  • Envy, the desire to have what others have, including both material goods and personal attributes.
  • Gluttony, consuming too much of something which might be good in moderation. It usually refers to food, but can it can refer to any material goods.
  • Lechery, or lust which is the desire for physical, and especially, sexual pleasure.
  • Pride or vainglory, a feeling of superiority and an excessive belief in one's own abilities. This is usually considered the worst of the sins.
  • Sloth, which refers to spiritual apathy as well as simple laziness.

The list of the Seven Deadly Sins was often contrasted with that of the "Seven Cardinal Virtues"; however, as Thomas Aquinas was careful to explain, they are not direct opposites. In Christian terms, a "deadly" or "capital" sin is one that cuts the sinner off from God and for a believer, this is a fate worse than death, since it is thought to lead to eternal damnation.

In non-Christian terms, these sins may be seen as character faults, which damage a person's spiritual development.

The Seven Deadly Sins are classified as "deadly", not merely because they constitute serious moral offenses, but also because they promote other sins and further immoral behavior; so, the Seven Deadly Sins are also called the deadly "vices", which is considered by some to be more accurate. They are basic, perhaps universal human tendencies, from which other sins result.

This entry is located in the following unit: English Words in Action, Group S (page 3)