half-dead; nearly dead; extremely
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesadjective
half-dead; nearly dead; on the verge of death
Describes plants, animals, or people that are close to dying from injury, illness, or harsh environmental conditions.
Those trees were battered half-dead by the typhoon.
He was deathly ill but still insisted on going to work.
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These flowers haven't been watered and are nearly dead.
complement
extremely; terribly; to an extreme degree (indicating suffering or strong emotion)
Used as a complement after verbs such as 打 (hit), 骂 (scold), 累 (tire), 气 (anger), or 吓 (frighten) to indicate an extreme degree. Often implies intense suffering or emotional distress.
After the thief was caught, the crowd beat him half to death.
The boss scolded me terribly, saying I got the data wrong.
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Today's workload tired me out to the point of exhaustion.
Hearing this bad news, she was furious (half-dead with anger).