KILLER Synonyms: 201 Similar and Opposite Words

killer 1 of 2

noun

ˈki-lər

Definition of killer

as in headache

a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work weeding out that overgrown garden is going to be a killer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in murderer

a person who kills another person gunned down by hired killers

Synonyms & Similar Words

killer

2 of 2

adjective

as in lethal

likely to cause or capable of causing death killer viruses that claimed millions of lives

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of killer

Noun

Aja is also producing the killer alligator movie alongside Craig Flores and Sam Raimi, with Gregory Levasseur, Kevan Van Thompson and Zainab Azizi as executive producers. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 The latter show portrays Wuornos as a modern-day killer inspired by Borden, who, unlike Wuornos, was found not guilty. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 On the steamy morning of July 15, 1997, he was murdered by an out-of-town serial killer on the steps of his South Beach home after his morning visit to the cafe. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 When the killers start a forest fire to distract police, our duo must survive dangers both natural and man-made to bring them to justice. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for killer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer

Noun

In another incident that gave Europe a headache, officials suggested Russia was behind a drone that breached Lithuania’s airspace earlier this month.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026
Typical symptoms are a high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle, bone or joint pain, nausea and vomiting, swollen glands, and skin rash.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of headache

Noun

This season focuses on a woman and alleged murderer who is ultimately never found guilty of any crime.

— Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
The concert featured both solo sets from Osbourne and a reunion of the original Sabbath lineup for the first time in more than two decades, along with a murderer’s row of performers influenced by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icon.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of murderer

Adjective

The producers, meanwhile, have one too many flashbacks to Squid Game’s lethal competitions.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
The team calculated a combined measure of heat and humidity that sets a lethal limit for modern endotherms and found that threshold was never crossed anywhere in their Cretaceous simulations.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of lethal

Adjective

The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and intense population movements.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
And widespread adoption by farmers is challenging because perennial crops don’t yield as much, harvesting can be difficult and the market still is developing.

— Joshua A. Bickel, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of difficult

Noun

The lingerers brought their dirty dishes to the bus tub, wiped their mouths one last time with a napkin, and waved to Cleo, their faces saying, Nice job!

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Tasked with the assignment of retrieving the escapees is Bob (Knoxville, sporting a blonde dye job), a 50-year-old counselor whose job is on the line.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of job

Noun

Its tale of a Zainichi assassin (an ethnic Korean in Japan), as well as fraying political tensions between the North and South, take its characters far and wide, in a follow-the-money treasure hunt dangerously close to the halls of power.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Some earlier assassins expected it of themselves, canceling plots that would have killed bystanders.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of assassin

Adjective

The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province and is known to be the deadliest of all past 17 Ebola outbreaks in the country.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
His team, which had just gruelingly removed passengers stuck between scraps of metal and glass, turned its attention to another deadly disaster Tuesday night.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026