Adjective
/ˈliːθəl/
The term "lethal" describes something that is capable of causing death or is extremely harmful. It is occasionally used in contexts involving violence, weapons, drugs, or situations where there is a significant risk of death. The word is fairly commonly used in both oral and written contexts, but may be more frequent in written contexts, especially in legal, medical, or news reporting scenarios.
"Lethal" is a word that appears regularly in discussions about safety, medicine, law enforcement, and military contexts.
The lethal injection was administered to the convicted criminal.
(Летальная инъекция была введена осужденному преступнику.)
The researcher studied the effects of lethal doses of the poison on various organisms.
(Исследователь изучал влияние летальных доз яда на различные организмы.)
In the horror film, the monster's lethal capabilities terrified the audience.
(В фильме ужасов смертоносные способности монстра ужасали зрителей.)
While "lethal" itself is not typically a part of idiomatic expressions, its usage in phrases related to danger or harm can reflect severe consequences. Here are some idiomatic expressions related to lethal contexts:
Lethal weapon
"The police confiscated the lethal weapon from the suspect."
(Полиция конфисковала смертоносное оружие у подозреваемого.)
Lethal dose
"He barely survived a lethal dose of the drug."
(Он едва выжил после смертельной дозы наркотика.)
Lethal force
"The officer was authorized to use lethal force if necessary."
(Офицеру было разрешено применять смертоносную силу в случае необходимости.)
Lethal combination
"Mixing those two chemicals can create a lethal combination."
(Смешивание этих двух химикатов может создать смертельную комбинацию.)
Fallout from a lethal action
"The fallout from his lethal actions will affect many lives."
(Последствия его смертоносных действий затронут множество жизней.)
The word "lethal" originates from the Latin word "lethalis," which means "death-bringing." This Latin term is derived from "Lethe," a river in Greek mythology that caused forgetfulness and oblivion. The term has been adopted into English to describe anything that can result in death.