drop-dead

[ drop-ded ]

adjective

1. inspiring awe, astonishment, or envy:

   a drop-dead guest list; a drop-dead sable coat.

2. being the most extreme limit or possibility:

   What's the drop-dead date for handing in term papers? That is our drop-dead offer.

drop-dead

adverb

1. informal.
   outstandingly or exceptionally

   drop-dead gorgeous

Word History and Origins

Origin of drop-dead¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

An expression of anger, rejection, or indignation toward someone. For example, I should do all that work for you? Drop dead! This rude imperative is usually hyperbolic, that is, the speaker is not literally asking someone to die on the spot. [c. 1930] Curiously, the adjective (and adverb) drop-dead is not at all insulting. Rather, it means “dazzling” or “awe-inspiring,” as in She wore a drop-dead outfit that all the other women admired . This usage originated in slangy journalism in the 1960s.

Example Sentences

He told us: “Babies don't suddenly drop dead.”

From BBC

Diamond has often said that democracies, with their strong protections for civil liberties and the rule of law, don’t drop dead of a heart attack.

From Los Angeles Times

“It never did,” she says, “I realise that now - it never will. I will be questioned until the day I drop dead.”

From BBC

Howler monkeys and tropical birds have dropped dead from trees in southern Mexico.

From Seattle Times

Mexico has also been baking under a heat wave so intense that howler monkeys have literally been dropping dead from the trees.

From Seattle Times