dead
dead — 名詞
1. people whose lives have ended, thought of together as one group.
死者
已故的人；亡者
people whose lives have ended, thought of together as one group.
Bilal's grandmother lit incense every year for the dead of her village.
Bilal 的祖母每年為村裡的死者點香。
the dead of + [place/event]
The names of all the dead were carved into the stone memorial.
所有死者的名字都被刻在石碑上。
passive: the dead as subject complement
A moment of silence was held for the dead of the earthquake.
眾人為地震中的死者默哀片刻。
Tamar placed flowers on the graves of the dead from both wars.
Tamar 在兩場戰爭死者的墓前放上鮮花。
Scholars still study the writings of the dead from ancient Egypt.
學者仍在研究古埃及死者留下的文字。
- the deceased
more formal, often used in official or legal contexts
- the departed
formal or euphemistic, used especially in religious or respectful settings
- the living
the natural opposite — people who are alive
文法句型
the dead + plural verb
用法筆記
Always used with the definite article 'the' when referring to people who have died as a group. This noun takes a plural verb: 'The dead are remembered every year.'
常見錯誤
dead — 形容詞
1. no longer alive; having stopped living — used of people, animals, or plants that
死亡的
不再活著的狀態
no longer alive; having stopped living — used of people, animals, or plants that once lived.
The old dog was found dead in the garden this morning.
那隻老狗今天早上被發現在花園裡已經死了。
be + found + dead (passive)
Three people were dead after the car hit a tree near the bridge.
車子撞上橋附近的樹之後，有三個人死亡。
be + dead (copular, stating result)
The flowers in the glass vase were dead because nobody had watered them.
玻璃花瓶裡的花因為沒人澆水而枯死了。
Lakshmi keeps a photo of her grandfather, who was dead before she was born.
Lakshmi 留著祖父的照片，祖父在她出生前就過世了。
A dead fish floated to the top of the tank, and the children felt sad.
一條死魚浮到水缸頂端，孩子們看了都很難過。
文法句型
be + dead
dead + noun
用法筆記
Describes a final state, not an action. Unlike 'killed', 'dead' cannot take a by-phrase to name a cause — say 'The bird was killed by a cat', not 'The bird was dead by a cat'.
常見錯誤
2. unable to feel anything in a part of the body, usually because cold or lack of b
麻木的
身體部位失去知覺
unable to feel anything in a part of the body, usually because cold or lack of blood flow has stopped the nerves from working properly.
After sitting on the hard floor for three hours, Caio's legs were completely dead.
Caio 在硬地板上坐了三小時後，雙腿完全麻木了。
body part + be + dead (result of pressure)
Dewi's toes felt dead after she walked through the deep snow for too long.
Dewi 在深深的雪地裡走了太久，腳趾頭完全沒知覺了。
The dentist gave Pedro a shot, and his whole mouth went dead for an hour.
牙醫幫 Pedro 打了一針，他的整張嘴麻了一個小時。
Takeshi hit his elbow on the door and his arm went dead for a minute.
Takeshi 的手肘撞到門框，手臂麻了整整一分鐘。
When the doctor pressed her finger, the numb spot felt completely dead.
醫生按她的手指時，那個麻木的地方完全沒感覺。
- sensitive
able to feel touch or pain; the opposite of numb
文法句型
body part + be/go/feel + dead
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 13 (emotionally unresponsive), which describes a person's feelings — this sense applies only to physical body parts. 'Go dead' suggests a sudden loss of sensation; 'be dead' describes a continuing numb state.
常見錯誤
3. containing nothing because the drink or other contents have all been used up — u
空的
容器內物品已用完
containing nothing because the drink or other contents have all been used up — used mainly of bottles, glasses, and other containers.
After the party, every bottle on the table was dead.
派對結束後，桌上的每個瓶子都是空的。
be + dead (informal, container)
The waiter picked up the dead glasses and carried them to the kitchen.
服務生收走空杯子，拿到廚房去。
Nicholas picked up the dead beer can and threw it into the recycling bin.
Nicholas 撿起空啤酒罐，丟進回收桶裡。
Quinn checked the wine bottle, but it was dead, so she opened a fresh one.
Quinn 檢查了那瓶紅酒，但已經空了，所以她開了一瓶新的。
All the milk cartons in the fridge were dead, so Gabriel went to buy more.
冰箱裡的牛奶盒都喝光了，所以 Gabriel 去買了一些回來。
- full
containing something; the direct opposite
文法句型
be + dead
dead + noun (bottle, glass)
用法筆記
Informal and used mostly in everyday conversation about drinks. In more formal writing, 'empty' is preferred. 'Dead bottle' is British-leaning; American speakers often say 'empty bottle' in all situations.
常見錯誤
4. outside the active area of play in a sport, so that the game stops and no points
死球；出界
球賽中暫停比賽的狀態
outside the active area of play in a sport, so that the game stops and no points can be scored.
The referee blew the whistle because the ball was dead.
裁判吹哨，因為球已經出界了。
ball + be + dead (sports context)
While the ball is dead, the players cannot score any points.
當球處於死球狀態時，球員無法得分。
The crowd watched as the dead ball was brought back to the field.
觀眾安靜地等待著，直到死球被帶回球場中央。
In tennis, when the ball bounces twice the point is dead and play stops.
在網球比賽中，球彈跳兩次後該分即為死球，比賽暫停。
Caio kicked the ball out of the court, and the umpire declared it dead.
Caio 把球踢出場外，裁判宣布球已出界。
- out of bounds
describes the ball's position rather than its legal status; more common in American sports
- out of play
the standard non-technical description; interchangeable in most contexts
文法句型
ball + be + dead
用法筆記
Only used for balls in sports with defined playing areas — common in football, tennis, basketball, rugby, and volleyball. A 'dead ball' means play has temporarily stopped; the ball will become 'live' again when play resumes.
5. very quiet and lacking any activity, excitement, or interest — used of a place,
冷清的
場所缺乏活動或趣味
very quiet and lacking any activity, excitement, or interest — used of a place, event, or period of time where nothing seems to happen.
The town centre was completely dead after nine o'clock at night.
市中心晚上九點以後就完全冷清了。
place + be + dead (lacking activity)
Devika thought the party was dead, so she left after just half an hour.
Devika 覺得那個派對很無聊，所以只待了半小時就走了。
The shops on this street are dead on Sundays because nobody comes here.
這條街上的店鋪星期天都很冷清，因為沒有人來這裡。
Pedro moved to the city because his village felt too dead for someone his age.
Pedro 搬到了城市，因為他的村子對他這個年紀的人來說太冷清了。
The market was dead this morning — only two customers walked through the whole time.
今天早上市場很冷清——從頭到尾只有兩個客人走進來。
文法句型
place/event + be + dead
用法筆記
Typically describes a place's atmosphere rather than an individual event. A 'dead party' means few guests and low energy, not that the party failed entirely. Common in informal conversation; in writing, 'quiet', 'inactive', or 'deserted' may be more neutral.
常見錯誤
6. not working or operating, especially because the battery has run out, the power
故障；沒電
設備因故障或沒電而無法運作
not working or operating, especially because the battery has run out, the power has been cut off, or a fault has developed.
The car would not start because the battery was completely dead.
車子發不動，因為電池完全沒電了。
battery + be + dead (no power)
Ayana tried to call her mother, but her phone battery was dead.
Ayana 想打電話給媽媽，但她的手機沒電了。
The television screen went dead in the middle of the football match.
電視螢幕在足球賽進行到一半時突然沒畫面了。
Walid picked up the dead flashlight and looked around for new batteries.
Walid 拿起沒電的手電筒，四處找新電池。
The engine went dead just as the boat reached the middle of the lake.
船剛到湖中央，引擎就突然熄火了。
- flat
used mainly for batteries that have completely run out of charge; British-leaning
- not working
neutral and general; works for any device and any kind of fault
- out of order
used for public machines such as ticket machines or lifts; more formal
文法句型
device + be/go + dead
用法筆記
'Go dead' describes a sudden failure while something is in use; 'be dead' describes the state after the failure. This sense applies to equipment, not to a phone network or internet connection — for those, use 'down' or 'off'.
常見錯誤
7. so physically worn out that you have no energy left to continue with anything el
累斃了
極度疲憊，完全沒力氣
so physically worn out that you have no energy left to continue with anything else
After a double shift, Dr. Liang was dead and went straight to bed.
值完雙班後，梁醫師累斃了，一回家就直接上床睡覺。
informal: be + dead for extreme physical tiredness
The hikers felt dead after walking twelve kilometres up the mountain trail in the heat.
在大熱天裡沿著山路走了十二公里後，那些登山客累斃了。
I am dead, sighed Linh as she dropped onto the sofa after the long meeting.
「我累斃了，」林在一場長會議後跌坐在沙發上嘆氣說。
Jude was so dead by Friday evening that he could barely lift his schoolbag.
Jude 到了星期五傍晚累斃了，連書包都幾乎提不起來。
Three hours of swimming left the whole class dead and barely able to walk home.
三小時的游泳課讓全班累斃了，連走路回家都很勉強。
文法句型
be + dead
用法筆記
Used informally in everyday speech. More formal alternatives include exhausted, worn out, or drained.
常見錯誤
8. total and without any doubt, limitation, or missing part; used to strengthen the
完全；絕對
強調完全、毫無保留的
total and without any doubt, limitation, or missing part; used to strengthen the meaning of the noun that follows
The room fell into dead silence when the head teacher walked in.
校長走進來時，教室內陷入一片死寂。
collocation: dead silence — complete absence of sound
The car came to a dead stop right in front of the railway crossing gates.
那輛車在鐵路平交道前完全停了下來。
Kabir stared at the exam paper in dead panic, unable to write a single answer.
Kabir 極度驚慌地盯著考卷，一個答案也寫不出來。
There was dead certainty in Élise's voice when she declared the experiment had failed.
Élise 宣稱實驗失敗時，語氣中帶著十足的肯定。
A dead calm settled over the lake just before the first flash of lightning appeared.
在第一道閃電出現之前，湖面已完全平靜下來。
文法句型
dead + abstract noun
用法筆記
Commonly pairs with abstract nouns describing states or qualities such as silence, stop, certainty, calm, and seriousness. Not used before concrete nouns (not a dead book, not a dead chair in this sense).
常見錯誤
9. used before a limited set of adjectives to add very strong force to their meanin
非常；極其
放在形容詞前加強語氣（非正式）
used before a limited set of adjectives to add very strong force to their meaning; extremely or completely
Zola was dead certain that her team would win the science fair this year.
Zola 非常確定她的團隊今年會贏得科展。
pattern: dead + adjective (dead certain / dead wrong / dead serious)
Christopher was dead wrong about the time of the meeting and arrived two hours late.
Christopher 完全搞錯了會議時間，整整遲到了兩個小時。
The old house stood dead quiet in the middle of the snow-covered field.
那棟老房子靜悄悄地矗立在白雪覆蓋的田野中央。
Eli is dead serious about learning Mandarin before his trip to Taipei next summer.
Eli 對在明年夏天去台北之前學好中文這件事極其認真。
The internet connection was dead slow this morning, so Linh could not finish her homework.
今天早上網路慢得要命，Linh 沒辦法做完功課。
- completely
more formal; works in a wider range of contexts
- totally
similar register but more common and broader in use
- extremely
neutral register; pairs with many more adjectives
文法句型
dead + adjective
用法筆記
Restricted to informal spoken English and a fixed set of adjectives. Common pairings include dead certain, dead wrong, dead serious, dead quiet, and dead slow. Not used with positive evaluative adjectives — speakers do not say dead good, dead beautiful, or dead kind.
常見錯誤
10. strongly against a particular suggestion, proposal, idea, or course of action; r
極力反對
強烈反對某個想法或計畫
strongly against a particular suggestion, proposal, idea, or course of action; refusing to support it
Brooke's parents were dead against the idea of her travelling alone through Southeast Asia.
Brooke 的父母極力反對她獨自前往東南亞旅行這個想法。
pattern: be + dead + against + noun phrase
The committee was dead against selling the park land to property developers.
委員會極力反對把公園用地賣給房地產開發商。
My grandfather is dead against any changes to the recipe he learned as a child.
我祖父極力反對任何人更改他從小學會的食譜。
The residents were dead against the proposal to build a factory near their neighbourhood.
居民們極力反對在他們社區附近興建工廠的提案。
- opposed to
base phrase without the intensifier; less emphatic
- against
simpler and more common; neutral register
- hostile to
stronger connotation of active opposition
文法句型
be + dead + against + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Always used in the predicative pattern 'be + dead against + noun/gerund.' Cannot be followed by a that-clause — you cannot say 'I am dead against that we should...' The construction is fixed; the adverb dead modifies against, not a separate verb.
常見錯誤
11. extremely determined to achieve a particular goal or obtain something specific;
下定決心
對某事極度堅定、不願改變
extremely determined to achieve a particular goal or obtain something specific; unwilling to change one's aim
Reuben was dead set on becoming a pilot and spent every weekend taking flying lessons.
Reuben 下定決心要成為飛行員，每個週末都在上飛行課。
pattern: be + dead set + on + gerund (goal)
The school is dead set on improving its students' reading scores this academic year.
這所學校下定決心要在本學年提升學生的閱讀成績。
Elena was dead set on buying that camera, even though it was far too expensive.
Elena 下定決心要買那台相機，即使它實在太貴了。
The team was dead set on winning the championship after last year's disappointing loss.
在去年令人失望的失利之後，該球隊下定決心要贏得冠軍。
- determined
more general and less emphatic; works with to-infinitive
- set on
the base phrase without dead; slightly softer
- resolved
more formal; suggests careful decision-making
文法句型
be + dead + set + on + noun/gerund
用法筆記
The fixed phrase is 'dead set on + noun/gerund' for determination toward a goal. When used with 'against' instead of 'on' (dead set against), the meaning shifts to firm opposition, similar to sense 10 but even stronger.
常見錯誤
12. no longer existing, used, believed, or considered important in the present time;
消亡；過時
不再被使用、相信或實踐
no longer existing, used, believed, or considered important in the present time; belonging entirely to a past period
Latin is considered a dead language because nobody speaks it as a first language anymore.
拉丁文被認為是一門已消亡的語言，因為已經沒有人把它當作第一語言來說了。
collocation: dead language — no longer spoken natively
The tradition of sending handwritten letters is dead in the age of instant messaging.
在這個即時通訊的時代，手寫信件的傳統已經消亡了。
Christopher's theory about the market was long dead, but he refused the evidence.
Christopher 關於市場的理論早已過時了，但他拒絕接受證據。
The belief that women should stay at home is dead in most modern societies.
女性應該待在家裡的觀念，在大多數現代社會中已經過時了。
Many ancient medical practices are now dead, replaced by modern science and better understanding.
許多古老的醫療做法如今已消亡，被現代科學和更深入的知識所取代。
文法句型
dead + noun
be + dead
用法筆記
Often applied to languages, traditions, beliefs, practices, and concepts that have lost their relevance. For languages, 'dead language' specifically means one with no native speakers (e.g. Latin, Ancient Greek), which is distinct from an 'extinct language' that has no speakers at all.
常見錯誤
13. not showing or experiencing any emotion, as if the ability to feel sympathy or w
麻木
對他人或外界毫無情感反應的
not showing or experiencing any emotion, as if the ability to feel sympathy or warmth has disappeared.
After losing her job, Nkechi felt dead inside and stopped answering her friends' calls.
失去工作後，Nkechi 覺得內心麻木，不再接朋友的電話。
collocation: dead inside
The soldier's eyes looked dead as he described what he had seen in the war.
那名士兵在描述他在戰爭中見到的景象時，眼神看起來很空洞。
Jude gave a dead answer when his parents asked why he had skipped school.
Jude 的父母問他為什麼翹課時，他只給了一個冷淡的回答。
Christopher's voice was completely dead when he told us about the accident.
Christopher 告訴我們那場意外時，他的聲音完全沒有任何感情。
The refugees had grown dead to the suffering around them after months in the camp.
在營地待了幾個月後，這些難民對於周遭的苦難已經變得麻木不仁。
- numb
focuses on the inability to feel, and can describe physical as well as emotional sensation
- emotionless
emphasises a lack of outward emotional display rather than inner emptiness
- unfeeling
slightly more formal, often implying a harsh lack of sympathy for others
- sensitive
emotionally receptive and responsive to others' feelings
- compassionate
actively concerned about the suffering of others
文法句型
dead + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'dead to [something/someone]', meaning emotionally unresponsive to that thing or person. The fixed phrase 'dead inside' describes a feeling of emotional emptiness that may be temporary or long-lasting.
常見錯誤
dead — 副詞
1. used before certain adjectives to add strong emphasis, meaning 'completely' or '
極其；徹底
置於形容詞前加強語氣
used before certain adjectives to add strong emphasis, meaning 'completely' or 'absolutely' — for example, when you are dead serious about a plan, you are entirely serious, or when someone is dead right, they are fully correct.
Joon is dead serious about becoming a doctor and studies every night.
Joon 對成為醫生這件事極其認真，每晚都努力讀書。
dead + serious for complete seriousness
The online map showed a right turn, but Karim was dead certain it was left.
網路地圖顯示要右轉，但 Karim 非常肯定是左轉。
dead + certain for absolute certainty
Élise knew she was dead right about the address when she saw the blue door.
Élise 看到那扇藍色的門時，就知道自己的地址完全正確。
Liam's answer on the maths test was dead wrong, so he lost full marks.
Liam 數學考試的答案完全錯誤，因此那題沒拿到分數。
Devika promised she would be there, and she was dead honest about her plans.
Devika 承諾她會到場，而且她對自己的安排說的全是實話。
- absolutely
more formal; works in both speech and writing
- completely
standard register, not limited to informal use
- totally
similar informality but broader range of adjectives
文法句型
dead + adjective (serious, right, wrong, certain, honest)
用法筆記
Frequently used in informal spoken English. Only works with adjectives that express a strong, absolute quality — it sounds unnatural with mild or gradable adjectives like 'happy' or 'nice'. Do not use this in formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. suddenly and completely, especially describing a movement or sound that stops wi
突然
動作或聲音瞬間停止
suddenly and completely, especially describing a movement or sound that stops with no warning — for instance, a runner who stops dead has gone from full motion to complete stillness in an instant.
Hao stopped dead when he saw the snake lying on the footpath.
Hao 看到人行道上有一條蛇，頓時停了下來。
stop dead — sudden, complete stop of movement
The old delivery van came to a dead halt right before the railway crossing.
那輛老舊的送貨車在鐵路平交道前猛然煞住。
come to a dead halt — vehicle stopping suddenly
Adaeze's phone went dead in the middle of her call with the manager.
Adaeze 正在和主管通話時，手機突然沒了訊號。
The children's conversation stopped dead when their father raised his voice.
孩子們一聽到父親提高音量，對話瞬間就停止了。
文法句型
stop dead
go dead
come to a dead halt/stop
用法筆記
Common in narrative and storytelling contexts. 'Stop dead' and 'come to a dead stop/halt' describe physical movement. 'Go dead' usually refers to electronic devices or phone lines cutting off. 'Dead' in these phrases does not have a literal meaning related to death.
常見錯誤
3. exactly in a particular direction or position, without any deviation to either s
正好；直接
方位或位置毫無偏差
exactly in a particular direction or position, without any deviation to either side — for example, if a store is dead ahead, it is straight in front of you, and if a ball lands dead centre, it hits the exact middle point.
The post office is dead ahead, about two blocks past the train station.
郵局就在正前方，過了火車站大約兩條街。
dead ahead — directly in front
Alessia's arrow landed dead centre of the target at the tournament.
Alessia 的箭不偏不倚射中靶心，精準落在正中央。
dead centre — exactly in the middle
The bus stop is dead opposite the library entrance across the street.
公車站就在圖書館入口的正對面，過條馬路就到了。
Gabriel's guess about the final score was dead on — he predicted it perfectly.
Gabriel 對最終比分的猜測完全精準——他預測得一絲不差。
文法句型
dead + adverb/preposition (ahead, centre, on, opposite)
用法筆記
Tied to a small set of fixed expressions: 'dead ahead', 'dead centre', 'dead on', 'dead opposite'. You cannot freely substitute other direction words — 'dead behind' or 'dead left' are not used. 'Dead on' can also mean 'exactly right' about an opinion or estimate.