dead in the water
Meaning
Unable to move forward or make progress; stalled with no effective power or momentum.
Origin
From nautical use: a ship “dead in the water” has lost propulsion (engine failure, no wind, etc.) and cannot maneuver, leaving it drifting and vulnerable. The metaphor extended to stalled plans, talks, or careers.
Notes
Suggests a complete stall with little hope of progress unless something changes. Used for projects, negotiations, businesses, or plans; informal to neutral and common in business contexts.
Examples
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After the main sponsor pulled out, the festival plan was dead in the water.
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My phone died and the GPS stopped, leaving us dead in the water on a back road.
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The startup looked promising, but without new funding it’s basically dead in the water.
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Once the key witness refused to testify, the case was dead in the water.
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If the server doesn’t come back online soon, the whole rollout will be dead in the water.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as a predicate/adjective phrase: “be dead in the water.” Can modify a noun: “a dead-in-the-water project” (often hyphenated). Fairly fixed; rarely varied.
Synonyms
- stalled
- stuck
- at a standstill
- going nowhere
- at an impasse
Antonyms
- make headway
- gain momentum
- move forward
- get off the ground