a dead cert

a dead cert

slang Someone who is almost certain to do a certain thing or to succeed in a particular area. Sally is the most qualified candidate by far, so she's a dead cert for the promotion.See also: cert, dead

a dead ˈcert

(informal) a person or thing that is certain to win, succeed, etc: ‘Would you ever bet money on a horse?’ ‘No, not unless it was a dead cert.’ Dead here means complete or total. Cert is a short form of certainty.See also: cert, dead