Somewhat dead, lifeless, or lacking in energy; not quite fully dead but approaching that state or quality.
From 'dead' plus the suffix '-ish' (meaning 'somewhat' or 'having qualities of'). The '-ish' suffix comes from Old English and creates adjectives indicating partial or approximate qualities.
The suffix '-ish' is wonderfully British—instead of saying something is 'sort of dead' or 'not very alive,' English speakers can compress it into this single dismissive adjective that feels both casual and slightly poetic.
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