deep six

See synonyms for: deep sixdeep-sixeddeep-sixesdeep-sixing on Thesaurus.com

nounSlang.
  1. burial or discarding at sea.

  2. complete rejection or ruin.

Origin of deep six

1
First recorded in 1940–45

Words Nearby deep six

Other definitions for deep-six (2 of 2)

deep-six
[ deep-siks ]

verb (used with object)Slang.
  1. to throw overboard.

  2. to get rid of; abandon; discard.

  1. to reject, negate, or ruin: The team deep-sixed the manager's attempt to call Sunday practice.

Origin of deep-six

2
First recorded in 1950–55; v. use of deep six

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deep six in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deep-six

deep-six

verb
  1. (tr) US slang to dispose of (something, such as documents) completely; destroy

Origin of deep-six

1
C20: from six feet deep, the traditional depth for a grave

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for deep-six

deep-six

To dispose of, discard, or get rid of: “The board of directors deep-sixed the proposal without even reading it.” This phrase is derived from the noun “deep six,” meaning burial at sea and referring to the depth of water necessary for such a burial. The term was later used as slang for a grave (customarily six feet underground) and, by extension, as a verb meaning “to kill.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with deep six

deep six

Also, give or get the deep six. Burial at sea. For example, When the torpedo hit our boat, I was sure we'd get the deep six. This expression alludes to the customary six-foot depth of most graves. [Early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.