go dead

Meaning

This expression describes a device like a phone, laptop, or battery that suddenly stops working because it has completely run out of power. It can also refer to a telephone line or internet connection that suddenly loses its signal. It is very common in casual, everyday conversations.

Examples

• My phone is about to go dead, so call me on my landline if we get disconnected.

  My phone is about to go dead, so call me on my landline if we get disconnected.

• The screen went dead right in the middle of my Zoom presentation.

  The screen went dead right in the middle of my Zoom presentation.

• I forgot to charge my wireless earbuds, and they went dead halfway through my run.

  I forgot to charge my wireless earbuds, and they went dead halfway through my run.

• If your laptop goes dead, you can borrow my charger.

  If your laptop goes dead, you can borrow my charger.

• The line suddenly went dead while I was talking to customer support.

  The line suddenly went dead while I was talking to customer support.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ My phone is deading.

  ✓ My phone is going dead.

  'Dead' is an adjective, not a verb. You must use the verb 'go' with 'dead' to describe the process of losing power.

• ✗ The battery became dead.

  ✓ The battery went dead.

  While grammatically understandable, native English speakers almost always use the collocation 'go dead' rather than 'become dead' for electronic devices.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I need to find a charger quickly before my tablet ___.

  💡 Use the correct form of 'go dead' for a singular subject in the present tense.

  Show answer

  goes dead

• We were chatting on the phone and then the line just ___.

  💡 Use the past tense form.

  Show answer

  went dead