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
Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 20 May 2024
Officers, according to Tapley, utilized less lethal pepper balls into the F-150 firetruck, compelling the man to exit the vehicle.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for lethal 
Adjective
The worry is that an object just a little larger than Saturday’s missile could again escape detection and explode with lethal effect over an unaware, unwarned city.
—Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 20 May 2024
Officers, according to Tapley, utilized less lethal pepper balls into the F-150 firetruck, compelling the man to exit the vehicle.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for lethal
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 28 May. 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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