killing

1 of 2

noun

kill·​ing ˈki-liŋ How to pronounce killing (audio)
1
: the act of one that kills
2
3
: a sudden notable gain or profit
made a killing in the stock market

killing

2 of 2

adjective

1
: that kills or relates to killing
2
: highly amusing
3
: extremely difficult to deal with
the suspense is killing
also : calling for great strength, stamina, or endurance
a killing schedule
killingly adverb

Examples of killing in a Sentence

Noun The oil spill is responsible for the killing of thousands of birds. Adjective he's usually quiet, but occasionally unleashes some killing remark that cracks everyone up a killing schedule that requires the touring company to play in a different city every night
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Less than a year after the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott, Galindo’s death drew new criticism and brought protesters to Charlotte City Council. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 Matthew Purdy faces a charge of murder in the killing of Smith. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 Phoenix to offer overnight heat respite this summer, but some worry of homeless 'nuisance' UA president breaks down shortfall on The Briefing, a show about Arizona politics What happened in New York killing? The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 The settlement had another consequence, according to prosecutors: prison gang leaders like Troxell and Yandell were able to access contraband cellphones, giving them the ability to conference call with others in the gang, direct drug trafficking on the outside and order killings. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 With 185 killings in 2023, Kansas City saw its deadliest year ever recorded. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 Investigators initially suspected that the killings may have been tied to his business dealings. Natalie Morales, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024 More than 40% are watching those making a killing outside of the traditional 9 to 5 and want in. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Twelve jurors – seven men and five women – will now decide whether 26-year-old Gutierrez Reed, who was also the film’s key props assistant, is responsible for the killing. Christina Maxouris, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022 For the few pests that do show up, first spray with non-killing repellents such as garlic and garlic pepper tea. Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 26 July 2021 And Morgan put an end to his non-killing ways by chopping off the head of his bounty-hunting pursuer — stealing his axe and hat in the process. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2020 The killing spree began in the cottage community of Portapique where Mr. Wortman owned several properties. New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020 The problem at hand is the novel coronavirus, and U.S. sanctions are aiding its killing spree in Iran. Bonnie Kristian, TheWeek, 18 Mar. 2020 In 2014, his daughter, Alex, was at the University of California, Santa Barbara when a gunman on a killing spree fatally shot three women outside her sorority house. James Barragán, Dallas News, 21 Feb. 2020 Keenan was the New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives during the killing spree, which terrified the city in 1976 and 1977 as an unknown gunman stalked his victims with a .44 caliber handgun, killing six and wounding seven others. Michael R. Sisak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2019 Police reports, witness statements and dispatch logs shared earlier have provided more detail about the confusion and heroism as the concert venue became a killing field. Ken Ritter, Fox News, 13 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'killing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of killing was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near killing

Cite this Entry

“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

killing

noun
kill·​ing
ˈkil-iŋ
: a sudden large profit

More from Merriam-Webster on killing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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