“Dead As A Doornail” Meaning, Origin and Examples

When listening to English conversations you might hear the term ‘dead as a doornail’ but what does this saying mean and where did it come from? We are going to answer both of these questions as well as taking a look at how this term can be incorporated into a conversation.

“Dead As A Doornail” Meaning, Origin and Usage

Key Takeaways

  • The phrase “dead as a doornail” means completely lifeless or without any chance of revival. It is often used to describe something or someone that is unquestionably dead, broken, or no longer functional.
Dead As A Doornail
Dead As A Doornail – Created by 7ESL

“Dead As A Doornail” Meaning

The phrase “dead as a doornail” means unquestionably dead or lifeless. It is often used to describe something that is completely and utterly devoid of life, energy, or activity. The expression implies a finality or certainty about the state of being dead.

Examples:

  • “After all that hard work, my motivation feels dead as a doornail.”
  • “The battery is dead as a doornail; we need to replace it.”

Origin of this idiom

The saying ‘dead as a doornail’ is believed to have originated in the 1300s when it was written in poetry. It is commonly believed that the saying derived from the act of clenching nails to secure a door.

Usage of “Dead As A Doornail” 

  • Referring to a broken device:

“After dropping my laptop, it’s now dead as a doornail. It won’t even turn on.”

  • Describing something lifeless:

“The plant I forgot to water is dead as a doornail.”

  • Talking about an idea or trend:

“That fashion trend is dead as a doornail—it hasn’t been popular in years.”

  • In a historical or literary context:

“In the opening of A Christmas Carol, Dickens describes Marley as being ‘dead as a doornail’ to emphasize his death.”

Related Terms to “Dead As A Doornail” 

  • Dead as a doornail – the standard phrase indicating something is completely lifeless.
  • Stone dead – completely and utterly dead; lacking any signs of life.
  • As dead as a mackerel – another expression conveying the same meaning of being lifeless.
  • Flatlined – used to describe a situation where there is no activity or response, often in a medical context indicating death.
  • No longer breathing – a straightforward phrase indicating that someone or something is dead.
  • Lifeless – completely without life or energy.
  • Inert – lacking the ability or strength to move; inactive.
  • Out of commission – no longer functioning or operational.
  • Deceased – a formal term for someone who has died.
  • Gone – an informal way to indicate that someone or something is no longer alive.

Other Ways to Say the Phrase

If you wanted to express the meaning of the term ‘dead as a doornail’ in another way, there are plenty of ways you can do that. Here are a few examples of how to say the term using different words.

  • Stone cold dead
  • Dead as a dodo
  • Dead as good Friday
  • Dead and gone

“Dead As A Doornail” Examples

Example Sentences

You would use this idiomatic term when talking about a deceased person or animal, and you wanted to convey the fact that they were definitely dead. You might say something along the lines of

  • ‘My cat died last night, I thought he was just sleeping but on closer inspection he was as dead as a doornail.’

The term is intended to be used in a more light hearted conversation about death.

It could also be used to verify the death of someone, for example if someone asked you if you were certain about a death, you could reply with

  • ‘I am absolutely certain, she is dead as a doornail.’

Other examples:

  • It lay there with its eyes closed, dead as a doornail.
  • He shot the tiger until it was as dead as a doornail.
  • The treaty may be considered to be as dead as a doornail.
  • It writhed painfully and quickly sank to the bottom, dead as a doornail.

Conversation Examples

If you are curious to know how the term ‘dead as a doornail’ would fit into a conversation, here are some examples featuring the phrase.

Conversation 1:

  • Person 1: “How is your pet guinea pig? He wasn’t very well was he?”
  • Person 2: “No and now he is as dead as a doornail.”

Conversation 2:

  • Person 1: “My aunt died.”
  • Person 2: “I’m sorry to hear that.”
  • Person 1: “Yeah, I only saw her last Friday and she was fine, when I went to the hospital yesterday, she was as dead as a doornail.”
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