abbreviation

DOA

dee-oh-AY

DOA (abbreviation) means Dead on arrival: describing a person who is already dead when brought to hospital or when emergency services reach them. Example: “The driver was pronounced DOA at the county hospital.”

abbreviation

Dead on arrival: describing a person who is already dead when brought to hospital or when emergency services reach them.

"The driver was pronounced DOA at the county hospital."

"Paramedics worked on him for twenty minutes, but he was DOA."

adjective

informal Doomed from the outset; certain to fail or be rejected before it has any chance to work.

"The bill was DOA the moment the committee chair opposed it."

"Any proposal that raises fees is DOA with this board."

Of goods, especially electronics: faulty and completely non-functioning when unpacked by the buyer.

"The replacement drive arrived DOA and would not spin up at all."

How to Use DOA

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishIt means something turned up already dead, broken or beaten.

When to use it

The medical sense is formal and appears in official records; the figurative political and retail senses are informal but very common in news and business writing.

Memory tip

Outside medicine, DOA is almost always a judgement about a plan's chances, not about a person.

Common pairings

pronounced DOA DOA on arrival at hospital the bill is DOA DOA unit

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The driver was pronounced _____ at the county hospital.

Synonyms

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doomed dead in the water unworkable

Related Words

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Rhymes for DOA

OA LOA POA Goa boa toa Noa hoa Foa whoa Samoa Genoa

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean when a patient is DOA?

It means the person had already died before reaching hospital or before emergency staff could begin treatment. A doctor still has to confirm and record the death formally.

Why do people say a bill is DOA?

It is a figure of speech: the proposal has no realistic chance of passing, usually because the votes or the political will are known to be absent. It signals the outcome is settled before any debate happens.

What should you do if a product arrives DOA?

Report it to the seller immediately, as most retailers and manufacturers have a short dead-on-arrival window with a straight replacement rather than a repair. Keep the packaging until the claim is settled.

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