killer instinct
noun
: an aggressive tenacious urge for domination in a struggle to attain a set goal
Example Sentences
Her killer instincts have helped her become one of the top tennis players in the world.
Recent Examples on the Web When the company offered him a formal endorsement deal, Mbappé was 14, with lightning pace and a killer instinct for scoring. 
Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 Sahli said Rowdy also has the killer instinct, once even catching a bat. Kate Selig, BostonGlobe.com, 16 July 2022 Fu, Ree and Ruan – a expert harpooner with a killer instinct haunted by childhood memories as a war refugee – set out on an obsessive journey to catch and kill the giant swordfish. John Hopewell, Variety, 8 Aug. 2022 Some felt Russell was trying to soften up Chamberlain, the better to gain an advantage on the court, but to hear the recollections of players from that time, Russell had a killer instinct - and a sense of team -- that Chamberlain never possessed. Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 July 2022 Aaron Paul plays the guy who helps Sarah hone her killer instinct in a film about identity and fighting for one's life. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2022 Still, part of what makes Lowe so successful, say those who know him, is his ability to balance that killer instinct with real empathy. Fortune, 15 Feb. 2022 In development for many years, the narrative charts the rise of one woman (Patrizia Reggiani, played by Lady Gaga) who saw a chance to break down old systems, using unscrupulous methods and a killer instinct in order to accomplish her goals. Nick Clement, Variety, 14 Jan. 2022 Gobert was even more succinct about the missing-in-action killer instinct. Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Dec. 2021 See More
Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 Sahli said Rowdy also has the killer instinct, once even catching a bat. Kate Selig, BostonGlobe.com, 16 July 2022 Fu, Ree and Ruan – a expert harpooner with a killer instinct haunted by childhood memories as a war refugee – set out on an obsessive journey to catch and kill the giant swordfish. John Hopewell, Variety, 8 Aug. 2022 Some felt Russell was trying to soften up Chamberlain, the better to gain an advantage on the court, but to hear the recollections of players from that time, Russell had a killer instinct - and a sense of team -- that Chamberlain never possessed. Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 July 2022 Aaron Paul plays the guy who helps Sarah hone her killer instinct in a film about identity and fighting for one's life. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2022 Still, part of what makes Lowe so successful, say those who know him, is his ability to balance that killer instinct with real empathy. Fortune, 15 Feb. 2022 In development for many years, the narrative charts the rise of one woman (Patrizia Reggiani, played by Lady Gaga) who saw a chance to break down old systems, using unscrupulous methods and a killer instinct in order to accomplish her goals. Nick Clement, Variety, 14 Jan. 2022 Gobert was even more succinct about the missing-in-action killer instinct. Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1931, in the meaning defined above
killer instinct
noun
as in overambitiousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- overambitiousness
- spunk
- gumption
- grit
- starch
- initiative
- ambitiousness
- pluck
- assertiveness
- enterprise
- spirit
- go
- self-reliance
- snap
- aggressiveness
- vitality
- hustle
- ambition
- drive
- vigor
- pep
- action
- hardihood
- energy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- inertia
- inactivity
- reluctance
- passivity
- timidity
- hesitation
- faintheartedness
- diffidence
- lethargy
- laziness
- indolence