kill

1 of 3

verb

ˈkil 

killed; killing; kills

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of life : cause the death of

a disease that has killed thousands

He threatened to kill them.

b(1)

: to slaughter (an animal) for food

(2)

: to convert a food animal into (a kind of meat) by slaughtering

2

a

: to put an end to

kill competition

a change that could kill our chances for success

b

: defeat, veto

killed the amendment

c

: to mark for omission

also : delete

kill a quote

d

: annihilate, destroy

kill an enemy

3

a

: to destroy the vital or essential quality of

killed the pain with drugs

b

: to cause to stop

kill the motor

c

: to check the flow of current through

kill the lights

4

: to make a markedly favorable impression on

she killed the audience

5

: to get through uneventfully

kill time

also : to get through (the time of a penalty) without being scored on

kill a penalty

6

a

: to cause extreme pain to

My back is killing me.

b

: to tire almost to the point of collapse

has been killing herself to get the project done on time

7

: to hit (a shot) so hard in various games that a return is impossible

killed a backhand down the line

8

: to consume (something, such as a drink) totally

… killed his drink and held out the glass.

—W. L. Gresham

killed two bottles of wine over dinner

intransitive verb

1

: to cause the death of a person, animal, or plant

a murderer who may kill again

an herbicide that kills on contact

if looks could kill

2

: to make a markedly favorable impression

was dressed to kill

killable

ˈki-lə-bəl 

adjective

kill

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

a

: an act or instance of killing

an animal moving in for the kill

b

: a decisive act that conclusively secures something (such as a deal or win)

2

: something killed: such as

a(1)

: an animal shot in a hunt

(2)

: animals killed in a hunt, season, or particular period of time

b

: an enemy unit (such as an airplane or ship) destroyed by military action

c

: a return shot in any of various games (such as badminton, handball, or table tennis) that is too hard for an opponent to handle

kill

3 of 3

noun (2)

often capitalized

: channel, creek

—used chiefly in place names in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York

Synonyms

Verb

• carry off
• claim
• croak [slang]
• destroy
• dispatch
• do in
• fell
• slay
• take

Choose the Right Synonym for kill

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident

frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Examples of kill in a Sentence

Verb

The disease has killed thousands of people.

Three people were killed in the accident.

a chemical that kills weeds

a disease that can kill

taking drugs to kill the pain

Despite protests, the mayor killed the program.

The committee killed the bill.

This delay has killed our chances of finishing the project on schedule.

She told him to kill the lights.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Since the war began, Israeli strikes have killed around 700 people tasked with protecting the trucks, according to local officials. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024

The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was never a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. —arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Noun

Ever wonder what led up to Dexter Morgan’s first kill? —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 12 Dec. 2024

Now there's growing evidence that height kills, too. —Joel Rose, NPR, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English, perhaps from Old English *cyllan; akin to Old English cwellan to kill — more at quell

Noun (2)

Dutch kil

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1669, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kill

• dressed to kill
• eat up/run out/kill the clock
• fit to kill
• if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now
• kill off
• kill oneself
• kill (someone) with kindness
• kill the clock
• kill the golden goose
• kill (the) time
• kill two birds with one stone
• move in for the kill
• no-kill
• shoot to kill
• winter-kill
• would it kill you
• would kill for
• would kill one

Kids Definition

kill

1 of 2 verb

ˈkil 

1

: to deprive of life : cause the death of

2

a

: to put an end to : ruin

that killed our chances

b

: defeat entry 1 sense 1

the committee killed the bill

c

: to stop the use or functioning of

kill the lights

d

: delete

kill the last line

3

: to cause to pass

just killing time

4

: to use up completely

killed two cartons of milk

kill

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act of killing

2

: an animal killed

a lion devouring its kill