Synonyms of killer

killer 1 of 2

noun

ˈki-lər 

1

as in headache

a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work

weeding out that overgrown garden is going to be a killer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• headache
• job
• beast
• bear
• burden
• effort
• chore
• labor
• load
• nuisance
• heavy lifting
• strain
• trouble
• drudgery
• grind
• sweat
• lucubration
• weight
• bother

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• setup
• breeze
• snap
• duck soup
• cinch
• kid stuff
• child's play

2

as in murderer

a person who kills another person

gunned down by hired killers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• murderer
• assassin
• homicide
• cutthroat
• torpedo
• butcher
• manslayer
• slayer
• executioner
• slaughterer
• triggerman
• massacrer
• murderess
• hit man
• bravo

killer

2 of 2

adjective

1

as in lethal

likely to cause or capable of causing death

killer viruses that claimed millions of lives

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lethal
• deadly
• fatal
• infectious
• poisonous
• murderous
• infective
• deathly
• terminal
• harmful
• toxic
• dangerous
• mortal
• baleful
• fell
• destructive
• pestilent
• vital
• pernicious
• virulent
• hazardous
• deleterious
• threatening
• serious
• injurious
• baneful
• sublethal
• pestilential
• menacing
• bloody
• noxious
• ugly
• risky
• sanguinary
• perilous
• truculent
• grave
• unhealthy
• jeopardizing
• grievous
• sanguine
• internecine
• parlous
• unsound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• healthy
• beneficial
• healthful
• nonlethal
• nonfatal
• wholesome
• restorative
• salutary
• remedial
• curative
• useful
• salubrious
• corrective
• tonic
• advantageous
• safe
• nontoxic
• alleviative
• nonpoisonous

2

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• challenging
• tough
• formidable
• demanding
• rigorous
• hard
• murderous
• heavy
• complicated
• rugged
• sweaty
• tall
• testing
• severe
• rough
• intricate
• stiff
• uphill
• exhausting
• backbreaking
• exacting
• elusive
• painful
• pick-and-shovel
• complex
• serious
• grueling
• strenuous
• effortful
• herculean
• arduous
• hellacious
• laborious
• annoying
• brutal
• problematic
• involved
• hairy
• bruising
• abstract
• toilsome
• stubborn
• grim
• oppressive
• tricky
• thorny
• knotty
• troublesome
• tight
• insoluble
• spiny
• Augean
• trying
• moiling
• abstruse
• opaque
• recondite
• stressful
• ticklish
• strict
• labored
• burdensome
• distressing
• bothersome
• onerous
• cruel
• vexatious
• irksome
• stringent
• taxing
• inhuman
• grievous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• simple
• light
• cheap
• easy
• soft
• clear
• mindless
• effortless
• facile
• achievable
• elementary
• uncomplicated
• manageable
• undemanding
• doable
• smooth
• gentle
• soothing
• comforting
• painless
• relaxed
• friendly
• accessible
• user-friendly
• idiotproof

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of killer

Noun

The crimes of a serial killer can have widespread repercussions. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

The movie follows a group of teens attempting to evade the notorious killer Michael Myers inside his childhood home in Haddonfield, where a producer (Banks) documents their every move for a live internet streaming show. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2026

While expected, the decision is notable because Rasmussen — beyond being one of MLB’s best pitchers — is a notorious Yankee killer. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

In the series, ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, 17-year-old Ryan Shipley is back in her childhood hometown of Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026