1
: one that kills
2
3
a
: one that has a forceful, violent, or striking impact
b
: one that is extremely difficult to deal with
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 in a Sentence
Noun
Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women.
The chemical is used as a weed killer.
Adjective
killer viruses that claimed millions of lives
a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape
Recent Examples on the Web
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Sometimes, especially in summers when a coyote pair is stressed trying to raise pups, the parents might become serial killers of cats (one British Columbia coyote den yielded fifty-five cat collars).
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Corona’s killer, Kevin Douglas Limbaugh, 48, was ordered to surrender his firearms months before the shooting after a physical fight with a coworker.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The premiere episode of NBC's The Hunting Party season 2, in which the father-son duo play the younger and older versions of fictional serial killer Ron Simms.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for killer
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Aldis Hodge as the detective and forensic psychologist who looks into the minds of killers to catch them goes on the hunt in the second season trailer for Cross for a ruthless vigilante pursuing a billionaire businessman tied to the murder of a playboy.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Sometimes, especially in summers when a coyote pair is stressed trying to raise pups, the parents might become serial killers of cats (one British Columbia coyote den yielded fifty-five cat collars).
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Corona’s killer, Kevin Douglas Limbaugh, 48, was ordered to surrender his firearms months before the shooting after a physical fight with a coworker.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The premiere episode of NBC's The Hunting Party season 2, in which the father-son duo play the younger and older versions of fictional serial killer Ron Simms.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for killer
Cite this Entry
“Killer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
