death-ray

Sci-fi weapon beam

A death-ray is a hypothetical weapon that projects a beam of energy capable of killing or destroying at a distance.

The concept belongs to science fiction and early twentieth-century speculation about future warfare: The mad scientist aimed his death-ray at the city.

Real-world directed-energy weapons exist but lack the dramatic instant-kill power of fictional death-rays.

weapon

raygun

Fictional energy weapon

plasma · photon · cannon · emitter · projector · pulse · zapper · rifle · pistol · phaser

menacing

ominous

Suggesting something bad approaches

annihilating · vaporizing · obliterating · fearsome · terrifying · apocalyptic · catastrophic · unstoppable · merciless · inescapable

scifi

pulps

Soft fruit interiors

invasion · B-movie · retro-futurism · Martians · supervillain · zap · disintegration · atomize

Opposites
lethality/power

death-raylaser pointer

Handheld focused beam emitter

flashlight beam · reading light · pen light · stage lighting

power/threat level

death-raylaser pointer

Handheld focused beam emitter

flashlight · penlight · reading lamp · glow stick · night light

moral valence

death-rayshield generator

Machine creating protective fields

force field · life support · tractor beam

Family

death, ray, dead, deadly, deathly, deaths, rays, rayed

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG