dead set

1 of 2

phrase

: firmly determined
The mayor was dead set against [=strongly opposed to] the plan.
She was dead set on [=completely certain about] going to college.

set against

2 of 2

verb

set against; setting against; sets against
: feeling strongly that one does not want (something) or will not do (something)
Everyone was set against going.
He was dead set against the deal.

Examples of dead set in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Phrase
This time, though, the crowd wasn’t dead set on purchasing Nvidia’s products. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 Damian Lewis makes a cameo as himself, or at least a version who’s dead set on writing a treatise on dog meat; Harriet Walter plays the long-suffering daughter of a romance author determined to get her mother’s smut some prestige. — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
Wildwood is a dark tale, with whispers of a witch, set against the beautiful yet formidable backdrop of rural New England. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Rams rally Orangewood won the first two sets against Santa Fe, but lost the third and was staring down the possibility of going to a fifth with the Raiders having game point at 24-23 and all the momentum in their favor. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dead set

Rhymes for dead set

See All Rhymes for dead set

Browse Nearby Words

Dead Sea apple
dead set
dead sheave
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dead set.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20set. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All