Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense kills, present participle killing, past tense, past participle killed
1. verb
If a person, animal, or other living thing is killed, something or someone causes them to die.
More than 1,000 people have been killed by the armed forces. [beVERB-ed]
He had attempted to kill himself on several occasions. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
Cattle should be killed cleanly and humanely. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
The earthquake killed 62 people. [VERB noun]
Heroin can kill. [VERB]
Synonyms: slay, murder, execute, slaughter More Synonyms of kill
killinguncountable noun
There is tension in the region following the killing of seven civilians. [+ of]
Synonyms: tiring, hard, testing, taxing More Synonyms of kill
Synonyms: deadly, deathly, dangerous, fatal More Synonyms of kill
Synonyms: hilarious, amusing, absurd, ludicrous More Synonyms of kill
2. countable noun [usually singular]
The act of killing an animal after hunting it is referred to as thekill.
After the kill the men and old women collect in an open space and eat a meal of whalemeat.
Synonyms: killing, murder, massacre, slaughter More Synonyms of kill
3. verb
If someone or something kills a project, activity, or idea, they completely destroy or end it.
His objective was to kill the space station project altogether. [VERB noun]
Public opinion may yet kill the proposal. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: destroy, defeat, crush, scotch More Synonyms of kill
Kill off means the same as kill.
He would soon launch a second offensive, killing off the peace process. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
The Government's financial squeeze had killed the scheme off. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
4. verb
If something kills pain, it weakens it so that it is no longer as strong as it was.
He was forced to take opium to kill the pain. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: deaden, reduce, check, dull More Synonyms of kill
5. verb [only cont]
If you say that something is killing you, you mean that it is causing you physical or emotional pain.
[informal]
My feet are killing me. [V pron]
Synonyms: hurt, burn, smart, sting More Synonyms of kill
6. verb
If you say that you killyourself to do something, you are emphasizing that you make a great effort to do it, even though it causes you a lot of trouble or suffering.
[informal, emphasis]
You shouldn't always have to kill yourself to do well. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
7. verb
If you say that you will kill someone for something they have done, you are emphasizing that you are extremely angry with them.
[emphasis]
Tell Richard I'm going to kill him when I get hold of him. [VERB noun]
8. verb
If you say that something will not kill you, you mean that it is not really as difficult or unpleasant as it might seem.
[informal]
Three or four more weeks won't kill me! [V pron]
9. verb
If you are killing time, you are doing something because you have some time available, not because you really want to do it.
I'm just killing time until I can talk to the other witnesses. [VERB noun]
To kill the hours while she waited, Ann worked in the garden. [VERB noun]
[Also V n v-ing]
10.
See if it kills me
11.
See kill yourself laughing
12.
See move in for the kill/close in for the kill
13. to kill two birds with one stone
14. dressed to kill
15. to kill the goose that lays the golden egg
16. to be killed outright
usage note: There are several words which mean similar things to kill. To murder someone means to kill them deliberately. Assassinate is used to talk about the murder of an important person, often for political reasons.If a large number of people are murdered, the words slaughter or massacre are sometimes used. Slaughter can also be used to talk about killing animals for their meat.
Phrasal verbs:
See kill off
More Synonyms of kill
kill in British English1
(kɪl)
verb(mainly tr)
1. (also intr; when tr, sometimes foll by off)
to cause the death of (a person or animal)
2.
to put an end to; destroy
to kill someone's interest
3.
to make (time) pass quickly, esp while waiting for something
4.
to deaden (sound)
5. informal
to tire out; exhaust
the effort killed him
6. informal
to cause to suffer pain or discomfort
my shoes are killing me
7. informal
to cancel, cut, or delete
to kill three lines of text
8. informal
to quash, defeat, or veto
the bill was killed in the second chamber
9. informal
to switch off; stop
to kill a motor
10. (also intr) informal
to overcome with attraction, laughter, surprise, etc
she was dressed to kill
his gags kill me
11. slang
to consume (alcoholic drink) entirely
he killed three bottles of rum
12. sport
to hit (a ball) so hard or so accurately that the opponent cannot return it
13. soccer
to bring (a moving ball) under control; trap
14. kill oneself
15. kill two birds with one stone
noun
16.
the act of causing death, esp at the end of a hunt, bullfight, etc
17.
the animal or animals killed during a hunt
18. New Zealand
the seasonal tally of stock slaughtered at a freezing works
19.
the destruction of a battleship, tank, etc
20. in at the kill
Word origin
C13 cullen; perhaps related to Old English cwellan to kill; compare German (Westphalian dialect) küllen; see quell
kill in British English2
(kɪl)
noun
US
a channel, stream, or river (chiefly as part of place names)
Word origin
C17: from Middle Dutch kille; compare Old Norse kīll small bay, creek
kill in American English1
(kɪl)
verb transitive
1.
to cause the death of; make die
2.
a.
to destroy the vital or active qualities of
b.
to destroy; put an end to; ruin
3.
to prevent the passage of (legislation); defeat or veto
4.
to spend (time) on matters of little or no importance
5. US
a.
to cause (an engine, etc.) to stop; turn off
b.
to turn off (a light, esp. a theater spotlight)
c.
to muffle (sound)
6. US
to prevent publication of
to kill a newspaper story
7.
to spoil the effect of; destroy by contrast
said of colors, etc.
8. Informal
to overcome with laughter, chagrin, pleasure, surprise, etc.
9. Informal
to cause to feel great pain or discomfort
10. Informal
to tire out; exhaust
11. US, Slang
to drink the last, or all, of (a bottle of liquor, etc.); finish off
12. US, Printing
to mark as not to be used; score out; cancel
13. Tennis Etc
to return (the ball) with such force that it cannot be returned
verb intransitive
14.
to destroy life
15.
to be killed
plants that kill easily
noun
16.
an act or instance of killing
17.
an animal or animals killed
18.
an enemy plane, ship, etc. destroyed
Idioms:
in at the kill
to kill
SYNONYMY NOTE: kill1 is the general word in this list, meaning to cause the death of in any way, and maybe applied to persons, animals, or plants; , slay, now largely a literary word, implies deliberate and violent killing; , murder applies to an unlawful and malicious or premeditated killing; , assassinate implies specifically the sudden killing of a politically important person, oftenby someone hired or delegated to do this; , execute denotes a killing in accordance with a legally imposed sentence; , dispatch suggests a killing by direct action, such as shooting, and emphasizes speed or promptness
Word origin
ME kullen, killen < ? OE *cyllan, special late phonetic development of cwellan, to kill: see quell
kill in American English2
(kɪl)
US
noun
a stream; channel; creek
used esp. in place names
Word origin
Du kil < MDu kille, akin to ON kīll, inlet
More idioms containing
kill
kill the goose that lays the golden egg
dressed to kill
kill the fatted calf
kill two birds with one stone
kill someone with kindness
move in for the kill
in at the kill
Examples of 'kill' in a sentence
kill
Many were injured or killed in the attempt.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
They also carry infections which can kill dogs or make them seriously ill.
The Sun (2016)
You want to be happy after that but you also want to kill a few guys.
The Sun (2016)
How many innocent people could have been hurt or killed in that time?
The Sun (2016)
Wildlife officials have not released specific information on how many of the animals have been killed so far.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That can be key if you're protecting a lead but teams sometimes kill their attacking chances by slowing play down.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's turning into a war zone: people will end up being killed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Drivers who kill or cause serious injury could face longer sentences, including life imprisonment, under government plans for tougher penalties.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Wealth ends up killing the thing it loves.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
To kill animals for meat represents such an unnecessary taking of life.
Crowley, Vivianne Phoenix From the Flame (1994)
Each knew the other was determined to make the killing shot.
Andy Dougan THE HUNTING OF MAN (2004)
Two other soldiers and a civilian were also killed.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You always need to be in the middle and wait for the chance to kill your opponent.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We want no part in killing civilians.
Iain Gale Man of Honour (2007)
T5 sees a woman killing time in a nondescript airport hotel room.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He is challenged to kill an animal himself.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Would you kill yourself to destroy the enemy?
The Sun (2007)
If innocents are killed it will cause more problems.
The Sun (2013)
They try to kill and eat you.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Somebody is going to get killed or seriously injured.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Then the script called for the characters to hunt and kill a deer.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Suicide More than twice as many men kill themselves than do women.
Knowles, Jane Know Your Own Mind (1991)
You're just killing it to make room for the next generation.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Quotations
Thou shalt not killBible: Exodus
Thou shalt not kill; but needst not strive Officiously, to keep aliveArthur Hugh CloughThe Latest Decalogue
In other languages
kill
British English: kill /kɪl/ VERB
If a person, animal, or other living thing is killed, something or someone causes them to die.
Six people have been killed in a road crash.
The earthquake killed 62 people.
American English: kill
Arabic: يَقْتُلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: matar
Chinese: 杀死
Croatian: ubiti
Czech: zabít
Danish: dræbe
Dutch: doden
European Spanish: matar
Finnish: tappaa
French: tuer
German: töten
Greek: σκοτώνω
Italian: uccidere
Japanese: 殺す
Korean: 죽이다
Norwegian: drepe
Polish: zabić
European Portuguese: matar
Romanian: a omorî
Russian: убивать
Latin American Spanish: matar
Swedish: döda
Thai: ถูกฆ่า
Turkish: öldürmek
Ukrainian: вбивати
Vietnamese: giết
All related terms of 'kill'
to kill
to make a strongly desirable impression
kill fee
a fee paid to a freelance writer for material written on assignment but not used
kill off
If you say that a group or an amount of something has been killed off , you mean that all of them or all of it have been killed or destroyed .
kill-time
an occupation that passes the time
top kill
a procedure used by oil companies to attempt to plug a leaking well , by pumping heavy drilling fluids into the well before sealing it with concrete
kill switch
a security mechanism used to shut down a device immediately in the case of an emergency
kill oneself
to overexert oneself
fit to kill
excessively; immoderately
kill a well
To kill a well is to stop it from flowing by the use of mud or water to stop the pressure.
shoot-to-kill
of or relating to shooting by soldiers or police that is intended to kill rather than disable
killjoy
If you call someone a killjoy , you are critical of them because they stop other people from enjoying themselves, often by reminding them of something unpleasant .
dressed to kill
If someone is dressed to kill , they are wearing very smart or fashionable clothes because they want people to notice them and think they are attractive .
in at the kill
present and either watching or taking part when a contest or struggle comes to an end and one side is completely defeated
fishkill
a mass death among the fish population of a given area caused by pollution or other contaminants
roadkill
Roadkill is the remains of an animal or animals that have been killed on the road by cars or other vehicles.
kill sth stone-dead
If you kill something such as an idea or emotion stone-dead , you completely destroy it.
kill the fatted calf
to celebrate and do everything possible to welcome a person
kill yourself laughing
If you say that you killed yourself laughing , you are emphasizing that you laughed a lot because you thought something was extremely funny .
move in for the kill
to act decisively to defeat your enemy or opponent
kill someone with kindness
to treat someone very kindly even though this is not what they need or want
kill two birds with one stone
to manage to achieve two things at the same time
to kill two birds with one stone
If you say that doing something will kill two birds with one stone , you mean that it will enable you to achieve two things that you want to achieve, rather than just one.
move in for the kill/close in for the kill
If you move in for the kill or if you close in for the kill , you take advantage of a changed situation in order to do something that you have been preparing to do.
kill the goose that lays the golden egg
to result in an important source of income being destroyed or seriously reduced
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
to sacrifice future benefits for the sake of momentary present needs
the goose that lays the golden egg to kill the goose that lays the golden egg
If someone kills the goose that lays the golden egg , they harm or destroy the person or thing that gives them their money, power, or advantage .
Chinese translation of 'kill'
kill
(kɪl)
vt
[person, animal, plant]致死 (zhìsǐ)
⇒ Her mother was killed in a car crash.她母亲死于车祸。 (Tā mǔqīn sǐ yú chēhuò.)
(= murder) 谋(謀)杀(殺) (móushā)
⇒ She killed him with a hammer.她用锤子杀死了他。 (Tā yòng chuízi shāsǐle tā.)
(fig)[rumour, hope, idea]扼杀(殺) (èshā)
(inf)[lights, motor]关(關)掉 (guāndiào)
[pain]止痛 (zhǐtòng)
⇒ I'll give you something to kill the pain.我给你点止痛的药。 (Wǒ gěi nǐ diǎn zhǐtòng de yào.)
n(s)
(= after hunt) 捕杀(殺) (bǔshā)
my back's killing me (inf) 我的背疼死了 (wǒ de bèi téng sǐ le)
to kill time消磨时(時)间(間) (xiāomó shíjiān)
he certainly hasn't been killing himself (inf, fig) 他肯定没(沒)有竭尽(盡)全力 (tā kěndìng méiyǒu jiéjìn quánlì)
to kill o.s. (laughing or with laughter) (inf, fig) 笑得前仰后(後)合 (xiào de qián yǎng hòu hé)
to go or move in for the kill (fig) 出致命的一击(擊) (chū zhìmìng de yī jī)