Causing or able to cause death; very dangerous or likely to kill.
Examples:
The last three days had certainly been deadly for her.'I am Envy,' the Deadly Sin told him.'I am Gluttony,' the Deadly Sin replied.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Deathly
/ˈdeθli/
Causing or related to death or resembling death.
Examples:
The silence in the hall was deathly, unnerving all present.His complexion turned a deathly shade upon hearing the news.A deathly aroma lingered in the room, unsettling the guests.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
Deadly often suggests that something is capable of causing death, while deathly conveys more of a resemblance or connection to death.
Deadly is used more for active agents like weapons or poisons that can cause death.
Deathly typically describes something that resembles death in appearance, mood, or sound, such as silence or pallor.
You can also consider deadly as an attribute impacting life directly, whereas deathly is more about an indirect association with death.
One way to remember is deadly directly leads to death, while deathly has a ghostly or eerie quality.