megadeath

English

WOTD – 24 March 2025

Etymology

PIE word
*méǵh₂s

From mega- (prefix meaning ‘one million; very large, great’) +‎ death.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɡədɛθ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɡəˌdɛθ/
• Hyphenation: mega‧death

Noun

megadeath (plural megadeaths)

1. One million deaths, especially as a unit of measure for estimating deaths due to nuclear warfare. [from mid 20th c.]

   Synonym: megacorpse

   Coordinate term: (science fiction) gigadeath

2. (loosely) The deaths of a very large number of people; a massacre, a slaughter.

Related terms

• megadestruction
• megaton

Translations

one million deaths, especially as a unit of measure for estimating deaths due to nuclear warfare

• Catalan: megamort
• Dutch: megadode m or f
• Finnish: miljoona kuollutta
• French: please add this translation if you can
• German: Megatote pl
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: megamorte f
• Russian: мегасмерть (ru) f (megasmertʹ)
• Spanish: megamuerte
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can

deaths of a very large number of people — see massacre,‎ slaughter