Defunct
Defunct adjective - No longer living.
Usage example: a defunct species that we know only through fossil remains
Lifeless
Lifeless adjective - No longer living.
Usage example: the kayaker's lifeless body was found just downstream of the rapids where he had capsized
Defunct is a synonym for lifeless in dead topic. You can use "Defunct" instead an adjective "Lifeless", if it concerns topics such as live, not living. popular alternative
Nearby Words: life, lifelessly
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- Bad Stuff [if it beats you]: You are dead, deceased, departed, defunct, lifeless, perished, moribund and exanimate.
Source: Hurricane of Euphemisms
Cite this Source
Lifeless and Defunct. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/defunct/lifeless
Defunct & Lifeless. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/defunct/lifeless>.
Lifeless or Defunct. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/defunct/lifeless.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "defunct" and "lifeless" have occurred on timeline