Meanings
plural dead weeks
- In a college or university, the week immediately preceding finals week.
Synonyms: reading week, swot vac
Synonyms & antonyms
nounIn a college or university, the week immediately preceding finals week.
Origin
Possibly from the propensity during this period for students to cram for final exams and complete term papers, often resulting in sleep deprivation, increased irritability, and stress. Also possibly from the lack of classes or activities scheduled during this period, in order to allow more study time.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
dead week. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dead%20week
“dead week.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dead%20week. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dead week,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dead%20week.
Source: dead week on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.