kill

1 of 3

verb

ˈkil 

killed; killing; kills

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of life : cause the death of

a disease that has killed thousands

He threatened to kill them.

b(1)

: to slaughter (an animal) for food

(2)

: to convert a food animal into (a kind of meat) by slaughtering

2

a

: to put an end to

kill competition

a change that could kill our chances for success

b

: defeat, veto

killed the amendment

c

: to mark for omission

also : delete

kill a quote

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

kill the lights

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

My back is killing me.

b

: to tire almost to the point of collapse

has been killing herself to get the project done on time

7

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

killed a backhand down the line

8

: to consume (something, such as a drink) totally

… killed his drink and held out the glass.

—W. L. Gresham

killed two bottles of wine over dinner

intransitive verb

1

: to cause the death of a person, animal, or plant

a murderer who may kill again

an herbicide that kills on contact

if looks could kill

2

: to make a markedly favorable impression

was dressed to kill

killable

ˈki-lə-bəl 

adjective

kill

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

a

: an act or instance of killing

an animal moving in for the kill

b

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

2

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

c

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

kill

3 of 3

noun (2)

often capitalized

: channel, creek

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

Synonyms

Verb

• carry off
• claim
• croak [slang]
• destroy
• dispatch
• do in
• fell
• slay
• take

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of kill in a Sentence

Verb

The disease has killed thousands of people.

Three people were killed in the accident.

a chemical that kills weeds

a disease that can kill

taking drugs to kill the pain

Despite protests, the mayor killed the program.

The committee killed the bill.

This delay has killed our chances of finishing the project on schedule.

She told him to kill the lights.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Israeli ground operation in Gaza has killed more than 33,000 people there, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. —Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

In Israel, at least 1,700 people have been killed and 8,700 others injured, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024

There were 335 people killed, with 179 of the fatalities in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. —Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 7 Apr. 2024

Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, killed at least 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others. —Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024

Around 1,200 people were killed during the attacks, Israeli officials say, and more than 250 hostages were taken to Gaza. —Joe Hernandez, NPR, 7 Apr. 2024

The Chiefs or league should suspend Rice, who but for dumb luck could have killed himself or others. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024

The group of World Central Kitchen workers killed in the attack included three British citizens, a Polish citizen, an Australian and a Canadian-American dual citizen, according to the Associated Press. —Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2024

The Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, including many women and children, forced the overwhelming majority of people in Gaza to flee their homes and plunged more than half of Gaza’s population into a de facto famine. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024

Noun

Moments later, a crew member can be seen on the aircraft's front camera running from right to left, presumably running to the drone's kill switch. —Stephen Smith, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024

But Reinhart’s usage on the penalty kill is equally as impressive. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024

The penalty kill has been performing at something beyond an elite level. —Tom Layberger, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

The maximum amount the DNR can fine an entity responsible for a fish kill is $10,000, the Des Moines Register reports. —Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024

Of Blackwood’s 14 saves, 10 came on the penalty kill, as the Sharks took two minor penalties and were mainly on their heels for the first 20 minutes. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

Cameron Sears, Aragon volleyball: In a 3-2 victory over James Logan, the senior led the Dons with 31 kills. —Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024

While Nash does much to turn the genre on its head, In a Violent Nature still delivers on its slasher promise by showcasing a plethora of imaginative kills. —Mike Miller, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024

The Palace has not issued a statement since the kill notifications were announced. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

Dutch kil

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1669, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kill

• dressed to kill
• eat up/run out/kill the clock
• fit to kill
• if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now
• kill off
• kill oneself
• kill (someone) with kindness
• kill the clock
• kill the golden goose
• kill (the) time
• kill two birds with one stone
• move in for the kill
• no-kill
• shoot to kill
• winter-kill
• would it kill you
• would kill for
• would kill one

Kids Definition

kill

1 of 2 verb

ˈkil 

1

: to deprive of life : cause the death of

2

a

: to put an end to : ruin

that killed our chances

b

: defeat entry 1 sense 1

the committee killed the bill

c

: to stop the use or functioning of

kill the lights

d

: delete

kill the last line

3

: to cause to pass

just killing time

4

: to use up completely

killed two cartons of milk

kill

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act of killing

2

: an animal killed

a lion devouring its kill