murder

¹mur·der

noun \ˈmər-dər\

Definition of MURDER

1

: the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought

2

a : something very difficult or dangerous <the traffic was murder> b : something outrageous or blameworthy <getting away with murder>

Examples of MURDER

1. She was accused of murder.
2. the mass murder of civilians in wartime
3. a string of unsolved murders
4. Traffic is murder this time of day.

Origin of MURDER

partly from Middle English murther, from Old English morthor; partly from Middle English murdre, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English morthor; akin to Old High German mord murder, Latin mort-, mors death, mori to die, mortuus dead, Greek brotos mortal

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to MURDER

Synonyms: agony, Gehenna, horror, misery, hell, nightmare, torment, torture

Antonyms: heaven, paradise

Related Words: affliction, calvary, cross, curse, ordeal, trial, tribulation; calamity, misfortune, tragedy; gall, thorn; bummer, downer, drag

Near Antonyms: delight, diversion, entertainment, fun, joy, pleasure, recreation; lark, picnic, riot

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Rhymes with MURDER

birder, girder, herder