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kill
1[kil]
verb (used with object)
to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.
Synonyms: assassinate, garrote, garrote, strangle, guillotine, behead, electrocute, hang, butcher, butcher, massacre, slaughter, slaughter, slaughterto destroy; extinguish; do away with.
His response killed our hopes.
to destroy or neutralize the active qualities of.
to kill an odor.
to spoil the effect of.
His extra brushwork killed the painting.
to cause (time) to be consumed with seeming rapidity or with a minimum of boredom, especially by engaging in some easy activity or amusement of passing interest.
I had to kill three hours before plane time.
to spend (time) unprofitably.
He killed ten good years on that job.
Informal., to overcome completely or with irresistible effect.
That comedian kills me.
to muffle or deaden.
This carpet kills the sound of footsteps.
Informal., to cause distress or discomfort to.
These new shoes are killing me.
Informal., to tire completely; exhaust.
The long hike killed us.
Informal., to consume completely.
They killed a bottle of bourbon between them.
to cancel publication of (a word, paragraph, item, etc.), especially after it has been set in type.
to defeat or veto (a legislative bill, etc.).
Electricity., to render (a circuit) dead.
to stop the operation of (machinery, engines, etc.).
He killed the motor and the car stopped.
Tennis., to hit (a ball) with such force that its return is impossible.
Metallurgy.
to deoxidize (steel) before teeming into an ingot mold.
to eliminate springiness from (wire or the like).
to cold-roll (sheet metal) after final heat treatment in order to eliminate distortion.
Ice Hockey., to prevent the opposing team from scoring in the course of (a penalty being served by a teammate or teammates).
verb (used without object)
to inflict or cause death.
to commit murder.
to be killed.
to overcome completely; produce an irresistible effect.
dressed to kill.
Slang., to feel a smarting pain, as from a minor accident; sting.
I stubbed my little toe and that really kills.
noun
the act of killing, especially game.
The hounds moved in for the kill.
an animal or animals killed.
a number or quantity killed.
an act or instance of hitting or destroying a target, especially an enemy aircraft.
the target so hit or, especially, destroyed.
Sports., kill shot.
verb phrase
kill off
to destroy completely; kill, especially successively or indiscriminately.
The invaders killed off all the inhabitants of the town.
Informal., to extinguish; eliminate.
The bus ride every day kills off all of my energy.
kill
1/ kɪl /
verb
(also intr; when tr, sometimes foll by off) to cause the death of (a person or animal)
to put an end to; destroy
to kill someone's interest
to make (time) pass quickly, esp while waiting for something
to deaden (sound)
informal, to tire out; exhaust
the effort killed him
informal, to cause to suffer pain or discomfort
my shoes are killing me
informal, to cancel, cut, or delete
to kill three lines of text
informal, to quash, defeat, or veto
the bill was killed in the House of Lords
informal, to switch off; stop
to kill a motor
informal, (also intr) to overcome with attraction, laughter, surprise, etc
she was dressed to kill
his gags kill me
slang, to consume (alcoholic drink) entirely
he killed three bottles of rum
sport to hit (a ball) so hard or so accurately that the opponent cannot return it
soccer to bring (a moving ball) under control; trap
informal, to overexert oneself
don't kill yourself
to achieve two results with one action
noun
the act of causing death, esp at the end of a hunt, bullfight, etc
the animal or animals killed during a hunt
the seasonal tally of stock slaughtered at a freezing works
the destruction of a battleship, tank, etc
present at the end or climax of some undertaking
kill
2/ kɪl /
noun
a channel, stream, or river (chiefly as part of place names)
Other Word Forms
- killable adjective
- self-killed adjective
- unkilled adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of kill1
Origin of kill2
Word History and Origins
Origin of kill1
Origin of kill2
Idioms and Phrases
kill with kindness, to overdo in one's efforts to be kind.
The aunts would kill their nephews and nieces with kindness.
More idioms and phrases containing kill
- curiosity killed the cat
- dressed to kill
- fit to kill
- in at the death (kill)
- make a killing
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan's civil war and forced some 13 million to flee their homes.
Lucima, who served a jail term in 2021 for helping to dismember a musician, was killed by a single bullet to the chest as he opened his front door in Kensington last year.
On Friday, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 30 Palestinians had been killed in the territory in the past 24 hours, including 20 in Gaza City.
Sixteen people were killed on Wednesday evening in Lisbon when its iconic 140-year-old Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building.
The images also appear to show fresh tracks left by armoured vehicles crossing through a cemetery, where over 3,000 troops killed fighting for the British Empire in World War 1 are buried.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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