Synonyms of kill

kill 1 of 2

verb

ˈkil 

1

as in to destroy

to deprive of life

during the war more soldiers were killed by disease than anything else

Synonyms & Similar Words

• destroy
• slay
• take
• dispatch
• murder
• slaughter
• assassinate
• fell
• claim
• carry off
• neutralize
• get
• croak
• execute
• waste
• do for
• do away with
• massacre
• finish
• annihilate
• do in
• decimate
• cut down
• off
• butcher
• make away with
• terminate
• smite
• kill off
• snuff
• mow
• take out
• put away
• whack
• blot out
• ice
• suicide
• bump off
• rub out
• knock off
• scrag
• euthanize
• martyr
• put down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• raise
• revive
• animate
• resurrect
• nurture
• resuscitate

2

as in to dismiss

to reject by or as if by a vote

the Senate killed the bill by a single vote

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dismiss
• refuse
• veto
• shoot down
• negative
• blackball
• disallow
• down
• disapprove
• nix
• decline
• blacklist

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confirm
• allow
• pass
• approve
• admit
• ratify
• support
• elect
• sanction
• assent (to)

3

as in to delete

to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it

I think that paragraph is irrelevant, so kill it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delete
• cancel
• remove
• erase
• strike (out)
• cross (out)
• censor
• scratch (out)
• stroke (out)
• eradicate
• obliterate
• edit (out)
• blue-pencil
• x (out)
• elide
• suppress
• wipe out
• expunge
• dele
• blot out
• efface
• shorten
• excise
• clip
• cut
• clean (up)
• launder
• root (out)
• rub out
• silence
• repress
• crop
• abbreviate
• bleep
• expurgate
• redact
• bowdlerize
• blip
• red-pencil
• black out

4

as in to wear

to use up all the physical energy of

the long hike up the mountain just about killed us

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wear
• exhaust
• tire
• drain
• harass
• bust
• break
• wear out
• burn out
• wash out
• weary
• knock out
• waste
• weaken
• fatigue
• fag
• tucker (out)
• outwear
• debilitate
• wear to a frazzle
• do in
• do up
• frazzle
• sap
• enfeeble
• enervate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• activate
• strengthen
• energize
• rest
• relax
• rejuvenate
• invigorate
• vitalize
• unwind

5

as in to fascinate

to attract or delight as if by magic

with his dark good looks he would positively kill the ladies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fascinate
• entice
• seduce
• enchant
• lure
• please
• charm
• delight
• captivate
• tempt
• witch
• draw
• interest
• beguile
• bewitch
• magnetize
• intrigue
• pull
• wile
• disarm
• allure
• woo
• gratify
• appeal (to)
• entrance
• arrest
• invite
• beckon
• enthrall
• enrapture
• court
• solicit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revolt
• repel
• offend
• annoy
• bore
• disgust
• weary
• displease
• irk
• tire

6

as in to deactivate

to cause to stop functioning

kill the engine before it overheats

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deactivate
• brake
• shut off
• stick
• turn off
• dismantle
• halt
• phase out
• cut off
• arrest
• jam
• stall
• flick (off)
• draw up
• mothball
• chock

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• move
• run
• start
• drive
• activate
• trigger
• set off
• power
• propel
• generate
• push
• spark
• turn on
• charge
• fire
• fuel
• actuate
• touch off
• release
• switch
• launch
• trip
• crank (up)
• discharge
• energize
• electrify
• reactivate
• recharge

kill

2 of 2

noun

1

as in victim

Related Words

• victim
• game
• chase
• creature
• quarry
• prey
• target
• beast
• critter
• brute

Dissimilar Words

• predator
• hunter
• killer
• murderer
• carnivore
• chaser
• pursuer

2

as in race

Related Words

• race
• wash
• cut
• cutoff
• canal
• waterway
• watercourse
• stream
• slough
• channel
• bayou
• gut
• fresh
• affluent
• coulee
• tributary
• burn
• millrace
• millstream
• influent
• branch
• runoff
• confluent
• distributary
• brook
• arroyo
• freshet
• run
• rill
• creek
• rivulet
• beck
• billabong
• bourn
• runnel
• gill
• streamlet
• runlet
• brooklet

Synonym Chooser

How is the word kill distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of kill are assassinate, dispatch, execute, murder, and slay. While all these words 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

In what contexts can assassinate take the place of kill?

While in some cases nearly identical to kill, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When would dispatch be a good substitute for kill?

While the synonyms dispatch and kill are close in meaning, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When is it sensible to use execute instead of kill?

The meanings of execute and kill largely overlap; however, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would murder be a reasonable alternative to kill?

The synonyms murder and kill are sometimes interchangeable, but murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When might slay be a better fit than kill?

In some situations, the words slay and kill are roughly equivalent. However, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of kill

Verb

Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced as pro-democracy groups and ethnic rebels battle the military across the country. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Apply Chemical Herbicides There are a few commercial herbicides on the market that can kill tree stumps. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026

Noun

The Florida native got his first rifle at 8 and his first kill at 9. — Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026

The cattle-kill crisis is also costly, with each animal lost setting ranchers back several thousand dollars. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Phrases Containing kill

• kill time