What does doornail mean

Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. The phrase is deader than a doornail or dead as a doornail. This site speculates on its origin: [The phrase] could come from a standard term in carpentry. Improve this answer. Gnawme Gnawme 39k 3 3 gold badges 67 67 silver badges bronze badges. According to thefreedictionary , dead ; no longer in existence. Example: That silly old idea is dead as a dodo. When I tried to start my car this morning, I discovered that the battery was deader than a doornail.

Vijin Paulraj Vijin Paulraj 5 5 gold badges 12 12 silver badges 23 23 bronze badges. A close-up of an ancient studded door, with a heavy door knocker.

Dead enough for you? Please don't steal other people's content. It's a breach of copyright and downright rude. Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Linked 5. Related 6. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes. Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans.

Sign up now or Log in. Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Follow us. Choose a dictionary. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. Grammar Thesaurus. Word Lists. Choose your language. My word lists. Tell us about this example sentence:. All that scientific bric-a-brac in the cupboard had far better be thrown away.

When he plays a sonata it is as if the composition rose from the dead and stood transfigured before you. Top Definitions Quiz Examples dead as a doornail.

New Word List Word List. Save This Word! We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms. Words nearby dead as a doornail dead air , dead-air space , dead-and-alive , dead and buried , dead arm , dead as a doornail , dead-ball line , deadbeat , deadbeat dad , deadbolt , deadboy.

How to use dead as a doornail in a sentence The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday. Children's Ways James Sully.