kill
Noun:
- The act of causing death, especially of a living being: The word "kill" can refer to the act of ending a life.
- An animal or enemy unit destroyed, especially in hunting or combat: In specific contexts, "kill" refers to the thing that has been killed, such as prey or a target.
Verb:
- To cause the death of a living organism: The primary meaning is to end life, intentionally or otherwise.
- To destroy, end, or extinguish something: "Kill" can be used figuratively to mean putting a complete stop to a process, feeling, or activity.
- To overwhelm someone with a strong emotion: Informally, it can mean to cause great amusement, pain, or admiration.
- To consume something completely: To finish a drink or food entirely.
- To mark for deletion or erase: To remove text or data.
- In sports, to hit a ball with great force, making a return impossible: To execute a decisive, winning shot.
Noun:
- The lion made a kill and dragged its prey away.
- The fighter pilot had five confirmed kills.
Verb (Literal):
- The disease can kill if left untreated.
- He was charged for attempting to kill.
Verb (Figurative):
- The bad news killed our hopes.
- Please kill the engine before refueling.
- That comedian's jokes always kill me.
- She killed the entire bottle of water in one go.
"to kill time": to do something to make time seem to pass more quickly while waiting.
- I read a magazine to kill time at the airport.
"to kill a story/bill": to decide not to publish a news story or to reject a proposed law.
- The editor killed the story due to lack of evidence.
"to kill oneself (doing something)": to work extremely hard or make a great effort.
- He's killing himself trying to meet the deadline.
"to be dressed to kill": to be dressed in very stylish or attractive clothes intended to impress.
- She arrived at the party dressed to kill.
Killer (n): a person or thing that kills; (informal) something extremely difficult or impressive.
- The police are searching for the killer.
- That exam was a real killer.
Killing (adj/n): causing death; (informal) extremely funny or exhausting. As a noun, it can mean an act of causing death or (informal) a great financial success.
- He suffered a killing blow.
- We made a killing in the stock market.
- Slay: to kill violently or in great numbers (more literary/formal).
- Murder: to kill a person unlawfully and with premeditation.
- Execute: to kill someone as a legal punishment.
- Destroy: to end the existence of something by damaging or attacking it.
- Extinguish: to cause a fire or light to stop burning or shining; to end a hope or feeling.
Kill off: to cause the death of a group of living things, or to end something gradually.
- The harsh winter killed off many of the insects.
- The writers killed off the main character in the final episode.
Kill with kindness: to harm or inconvenience someone by being excessively kind or generous.
- She's killing me with kindness by bringing me food every day.
Kill two birds with one stone: to achieve two goals with a single action.
- By cycling to work, I kill two birds with one stone: I save money and get exercise.
Curiosity killed the cat: a warning that being too inquisitive can lead to trouble.
- I wouldn't ask too many questions if I were you—curiosity killed the cat.
Move in for the kill: to take decisive action to finish something, especially after preparing carefully.
- After weakening his opponent's argument, the lawyer moved in for the kill.
- the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile
- the pilot reported two kills during the mission
- the act of terminating a life
- destroy a vitally essential quality of or in
- Eating artichokes kills the taste of all other foods
- cause to cease operating
- kill the engine
- tire out completely
- The daily stress of her work is killing her
- mark for deletion, rub off, or erase
- kill these lines in the President's speech
- drink down entirely
- He downed three martinis before dinner
- She killed a bottle of brandy that night
- They popped a few beer after work
- cause the death of, without intention
- She was killed in the collision of three cars
- deprive of life
- AIDS has killed thousands in Africa
- hit with great force
- He killed the ball
- hit with so much force as to make a return impossible, in racket games
- She killed the ball
- overwhelm with hilarity, pleasure, or admiration
- The comedian was so funny, he was killing me!
- be the source of great pain for
- These new shoes are killing me!
- be fatal
- cigarettes kill
- drunken driving kills
- end or extinguish by forceful means
- Stamp out poverty!
- thwart the passage of
- kill a motion
- he shot down the student's proposal
- cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
- This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank
- The farmer killed a pig for the holidays