killer

¹kill·er

noun \ˈki-lər\

Definition of KILLER

1

: one that kills

2

: killer whale

3

a : one that has a forceful, violent, or striking impact

b : one that is extremely difficult to deal with

Examples of KILLER

1. Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women.
2. The chemical is used as a weed killer.

First Known Use of KILLER

15th century

Related to KILLER

Synonyms

bear, beast, headache, job, chore, labor

Related Words

drudgery, grind, heavy lifting, lucubration; effort, strain, sweat; burden, load, weight; bother, nuisance, trouble

Near Antonyms

breeze, child's play, cinch, duck soup, kid stuff, setup, snap

Rhymes with KILLER

biller, chiller, driller, filler, giller, griller, hiller, miller, pillar, schiller, Schiller, spiller, swiller, thriller, tiller, triller

²killer

adjective

Definition of KILLER

1

: strikingly impressive or effective <a killer smile> <a killer résumé>

2

: extremely difficult to deal with <a killer fastball>; also : causing death or devastation <a killer tornado>

Examples of KILLER

1. <killer viruses that claimed millions of lives>
2. <a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape>

First Known Use of KILLER

1951

Related to KILLER

Synonyms

baleful, deathly, fatal, fell, deadly, lethal, mortal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital

Antonyms

healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome

Related Words

baneful, deleterious, destructive, harmful, injurious, noxious, pernicious, truculent; infectious, infective, pestilential, poisonous, sublethal, toxic, virulent; dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, ugly, unhealthy, unsound; bloody, internecine, sanguinary, sanguine

Near Antonyms

beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary; alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic; advantageous, beneficial, useful; nonpoisonous, nontoxic, safe

Rhymes with KILLER

giller, griller, hiller, pillar, spiller, swiller, tiller, triller