lethal
lethal — adjective
1. Strong enough or dangerous enough to kill a person, animal, or other living thin
Strong enough or dangerous enough to kill a person, animal, or other living thing — used about poisons, weapons, diseases, doses of medicine, or physical force.
The venom of this snake is highly lethal — a single bite can kill an adult.
collocation: highly lethal
Police officers are trained to use lethal force only when protecting lives demands it.
collocation: lethal force
A lethal dose of this painkiller would be dangerous even for a very strong patient.
Adina's doctor warned her that mixing alcohol with her heart medication could be lethal.
The soldiers carried only non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets on that mission.
- non-lethal
designed not to kill
- harmless
causing no injury at all
- safe
not dangerous
文法句型
lethal + noun (a lethal dose)
be + lethal
be lethal to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Everyday synonyms: 'deadly' is far more common in casual speech; 'lethal' is more formal and appears frequently in medical, legal, and military contexts. Distinguish from 'fatal': 'fatal' describes the outcome (a fatal accident), whereas 'lethal' describes the thing's capacity to kill (a lethal weapon).
常見錯誤
2. So harmful or damaging to plans, relationships, businesses, or reputations that
So harmful or damaging to plans, relationships, businesses, or reputations that they are completely ruined or destroyed.
The combination of rising costs and falling sales proved lethal to the family business.
pattern: prove lethal to [abstract entity]
Obi's careless comment had a lethal effect on their friendship, and they never spoke again.
collocation: lethal effect
A lethal mix of poor planning and bad weather made organisers cancel the festival.
Tara knew that spreading those rumours would be lethal to her reputation at school.
- devastating
emphasises the shock and emotional impact of the damage
- destructive
focuses on the act of breaking or ruining something
- ruinous
formal; suggests total financial or structural collapse
- harmless
causing no damage
- beneficial
producing good results
- helpful
providing support or advantage
文法句型
be lethal to + noun phrase (abstract)
lethal + noun (abstract)
用法筆記
This meaning extends the death-related idea to abstract things — a plan, career, relationship, or reputation can be 'killed'. The preposition 'to' is standard when stating what is harmed.
常見錯誤
lethal — noun
1. A gene or genetic mutation that kills the organism carrying it, usually before t
A gene or genetic mutation that kills the organism carrying it, usually before that organism reaches maturity or reproduces.
In fruit flies, a lethal gene can kill the young before they hatch from their eggs.
domain: genetics terminology — lethal in fruit flies
The research team found a lethal mutation that kills mouse embryos in the first week.
Bilal studied how some crop plants carry lethal alleles that kill the seedling before it flowers.
Nila discovered a lethal gene in her lab's zebrafish population that stops heart formation altogether.
The allele is called a lethal because organisms that inherit it never survive to adulthood.
- lethal allele
precise genetics term for a specific variant of a lethal gene
- lethal mutation
emphasises the change in DNA rather than the gene itself
- viable allele
an allele that does not cause death
文法句型
a lethal
lethal + noun (lethal gene)
lethal mutation
用法筆記
A technical term found mainly in biology textbooks and genetics research papers. In everyday English, 'lethal' is almost always used as an adjective.
2. A specific form of a gene that inevitably leads to the death of the organism tha
A specific form of a gene that inevitably leads to the death of the organism that carries it.
Researchers identified a lethal in the mouse genome that causes early embryo death.
concrete research scenario: identified a lethal in mouse genome
The veterinary team searched for lethal genes linked to early embryo loss in pigs.
Nora's research focuses on recessive lethal alleles that hide in outwardly healthy carrier animals.
The farmer avoided breeding cows that carried a known lethal for a heart muscle condition.
- lethal gene
broader term; a lethal allele is one specific version of a lethal gene
文法句型
a lethal
lethal + noun (lethal allele)