What does 'dead' mean?

Neil: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak

– I’m Neil and this is Feifei. Feifei?

Feifei!

Feifei: Huh? Oh sorry, Neil!

I had a really late night last night so I’m

dead tired today!

Neil: You’re dead tired, Feifei? Are you dying?

That’s awful! What have you got? Is it

contagious?

Feifei: Oh Neil, don’t be silly! I’m not sick

or contagious or dying! I’m just really

tired!

Neil: That’s a relief! But, you said you were

‘dead’ tired. But you’re not dying?

Feifei: Oh really, Neil – I think you’re more

tired than I am! I said ‘dead’ tired because

I’m really tired.

Neil: So we can use ‘dead’ to mean ‘really’

or ‘very’?

Feifei: That’s right – if you want to

emphasise an adjective, you can use

dead to make it stronger.

Neil: Well that’s dead confusing –

perhaps we should take a look at some examples.

Is it lunch time yet? I’m dead hungry!

The man sat next to me on the train this

morning kept falling asleep on my

shoulder – it was dead annoying!

I was dead happy when I passed my

driving test!

Feifei: This is The English We Speak from

BBC Learning English and we’re talking

about a different use of the word ‘dead’.

Normally it means the opposite of the

adjective ‘alive’, but native English-

speakers, particularly people in the north

of England, often use it before an

adjective to emphasise what they

are saying. Could you tell us a time when

you were dead happy, Neil?

Neil: Well, when I woke up this morning

and found I had another hour until my

alarm went off! I was dead thrilled!

Feifei: Not quite, Neil! You were dead

happy, but not dead thrilled! You can’t use

‘dead’ with extreme adjectives.

Neil: Oh OK, so you can say ‘dead cold’

but not ‘dead freezing’ Or ‘dead good’

but not ‘dead fantastic’.

Feifei: That was a dead good explanation,

Neil! I see you have woken up a bit now,

but I’m still dead tired.

Neil: Well how about you make us both a

coffee while I finish the programme – it’s

your turn to make the coffees!

Feifei: Err, no, Neil – I always make the

coffee!

I’ll go make a coffee for me, not you, while

you finish the programme!

Neil: Uh oh. I’d best go and make the

coffees - she’s dead sensitive when she

hasn’t had enough sleep! Well, bye everyone,

see you next time!