1
a
: of, relating to, or causing death
death by lethal injection
b
: capable of causing death
lethal chemicals
2
: gravely damaging or destructive : devastating
a lethal attack on his reputation
3
: very potent or effective
a lethal fastball
also
: having a high alcohol content
a lethal rum punch
1
: an abnormality of genetic origin causing the death of the organism possessing it
2
Synonyms
Examples of lethal in a Sentence
Adjective
a potentially lethal dose of a drug
He was sentenced to death by lethal injection.
Recent Examples on the Web
CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
Mills will be put to death by lethal injection on May 30, according to the Associated Press.
—Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 26 Apr. 2024
Andrés said questions over the lethal strike on a marked aid truck, the conduct of the IDF, and the war itself must be met with moral clarity.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
Heather Spies, an OB-GYN with Sanford Health in Sioux Falls in South Dakota, told STAT the state’s ban on all abortions except to save the life of the mother has changed the treatment approach for PPROM and lethal fetal anomalies.
—Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 22 Apr. 2024
When Lisa — a member of the compound who previously befriended Natalie — notices what’s going on and threatens to kill Natalie, Misty attempts to save her friend, but Natalie pushes Lisa out of the way to save her and is accidentally stabbed by Misty with a lethal injection.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
The investigation was required by a state law that covers any shooting by a law enforcement officer that kills a person who does not have a lethal weapon.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Ukraine has reported intensifying Russian uses of chemical weapons, beginning with irritants, but with the potential for the more lethal kinds of attacks that characterized the Syrian war.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
City Council Member Shaun Abreu proposed a city ordinance Thursday that would establish a pilot program for controlling the millions of rats lurking in subway stations and empty lots by using birth control instead of lethal chemicals.
—Maysoon Khan, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Kylie Bourne, Discover Magazine, 14 Sep. 2015
Almost 8 of 10 lethal overdose victims had no contact with the agency before their deaths, the report found.
—Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2020
In response to Russian operations and Chinese advances, the USAF is battling for air superiority in the Arctic with its most valuable—and lethal—assets in Alaska, including the F-22A Raptor and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.
—Jeff Bolton, Popular Mechanics, 19 July 2020
Adjective
That investigation, published in March, found more than 1,000 people died over a decade after police subdued them through means not intended to be lethal, including prone restraint.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
Mills will be put to death by lethal injection on May 30, according to the Associated Press.
—Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 26 Apr. 2024
Andrés said questions over the lethal strike on a marked aid truck, the conduct of the IDF, and the war itself must be met with moral clarity.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
Heather Spies, an OB-GYN with Sanford Health in Sioux Falls in South Dakota, told STAT the state’s ban on all abortions except to save the life of the mother has changed the treatment approach for PPROM and lethal fetal anomalies.
—Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 22 Apr. 2024
When Lisa — a member of the compound who previously befriended Natalie — notices what’s going on and threatens to kill Natalie, Misty attempts to save her friend, but Natalie pushes Lisa out of the way to save her and is accidentally stabbed by Misty with a lethal injection.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
The investigation was required by a state law that covers any shooting by a law enforcement officer that kills a person who does not have a lethal weapon.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Ukraine has reported intensifying Russian uses of chemical weapons, beginning with irritants, but with the potential for the more lethal kinds of attacks that characterized the Syrian war.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
City Council Member Shaun Abreu proposed a city ordinance Thursday that would establish a pilot program for controlling the millions of rats lurking in subway stations and empty lots by using birth control instead of lethal chemicals.
—Maysoon Khan, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Noun
There are already concerns in Australia about the rate of escalation of force at some protests and about the use of less-than-lethal weaponry itself.
—Kylie Bourne, Discover Magazine, 14 Sep. 2015
Almost 8 of 10 lethal overdose victims had no contact with the agency before their deaths, the report found.
—Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2020
In response to Russian operations and Chinese advances, the USAF is battling for air superiority in the Arctic with its most valuable—and lethal—assets in Alaska, including the F-22A Raptor and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.
—Jeff Bolton, Popular Mechanics, 19 July 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lethal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lethal
Cite this Entry
“Lethal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lethal. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lethal
2 of 2 nounMedical Definition
lethal
1 of 2 adjective
le·thal
ˈlē-thəl 
: of, relating to, or causing death
a lethal injury
also
: capable of causing death
lethal chemicals
a lethal dose
lethally
adverb
lethal
2 of 2 noun1
: an abnormality of genetic origin causing the death of the organism possessing it usually before maturity
2
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