dead as Hector
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Unquestionably dead.
Register: dated
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[…] if a man, on coming up to his old friend’s cottage, finds the owner staring him in the face over a stile, all the while as dead as Hector,—still the answer is,—“Why, to be sure, all this is rather absurd; but then, Sir, consider the power.”
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “dead as Hector” mean?
Unquestionably dead.
Is “dead as Hector” formal or informal?
dead as Hector is generally dated.