kill

¹kill

verb \ˈkil\

Definition of KILL

transitive verb

1

a : to deprive of life : cause the death of

b (1) : to slaughter (as a hog) for food (2) : to convert a food animal into (a kind of meat) by slaughtering

2

a : to put an end to <kill competition>

b : defeat, veto <killed the amendment>

c : to mark for omission; also : delete

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

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

b : to tire almost to the point of collapse

7

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

8

: to consume (as a drink) totally

intransitive verb

1

: to deprive one of life

2

: to make a markedly favorable impression <was dressed to kill>

Examples of KILL

1. The disease has killed thousands of people.
2. Three people were killed in the accident.
3. a chemical that kills weeds
4. a disease that can kill
5. taking drugs to kill the pain
6. Despite protests, the mayor killed the program.
7. The committee killed the bill.
8. This delay has killed our chances of finishing the project on schedule.
9. She told him to kill the lights.

Origin of KILL

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to KILL

Synonyms

carry off, claim, croak [slang], destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, slay, take, do away with, do for [chiefly British], make away with

Antonyms

animate

Related Words

bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice [slang], knock off, murder, neutralize, off [slang], put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack [slang]; annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite; assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate; euthanize (also euthanatize), put down; suicide

Near Antonyms

raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive; nurture

Synonym Discussion of 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>.

Rhymes with KILL

bill, brill, chill, dill, drill, fill, frill, gill, grill, grille, hill, ill, krill, mil, mill, mille, nil, nill, Phil, pill, prill, quill, rill, shill, shrill, sill, skill, spill, squill, still, swill, thill, thrill, til, till, trill, twill, vill, will

²kill

noun

Definition of KILL

1

a : an act or instance of killing

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

2

: something killed: 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 (as an airplane or ship) destroyed by military action

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

First Known Use of KILL

1814

³kill

noun, often capitalized

Definition of KILL

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

Origin of KILL

Dutch kil

First Known Use: 1669