Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Killed unlawfully; slain, especially with premeditation or malice: Describes a person or living being whose death was caused by an unlawful, intentional, and often planned act of killing.

Usage

• The adjective "murdered" is used to describe the victim of a homicide. It is typically placed before a noun (e.g., the murdered man) or used after a linking verb like "was" or "were" (e.g., He was murdered).
• It carries a strong connotation of criminality and injustice, distinguishing it from more neutral terms like "killed" or "dead."

Examples

• The murdered journalist was known for her investigative work.
• Police are searching for clues at the home of the murdered couple.
• She testified that she saw the murdered man arguing with another person.
• The king was murdered in his sleep by a group of conspirators.

Advanced Usage

• "Falsely murdered": A rare construction used to describe someone wrongfully accused of being a murder victim, often in contexts of deception or conspiracy theories.
  • The propaganda claimed the general was falsely murdered by his own troops.
• Used in legal and journalistic contexts to specify the manner of death precisely and formally.

Variants and Related Words

• Murder (n.): The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.
  • He was convicted of murder.
• Murder (v.): To kill (someone) unlawfully and with premeditation.
  • He plotted to murder his business partner.
• Murderer (n.): A person who commits murder.
• Murderous (adj.): Capable of, intending, or involving murder or extreme violence.

Synonyms

• Assassinated: Killed, especially a public figure, by sudden or secret attack, often for political reasons.
• Slain: (Literary) Killed in a violent way.
• Homicide victim: A more formal or legal term for a person who has been unlawfully killed.

Antonyms

• Alive: Living, not dead.
• Spared: Allowed to live; not killed.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Cry murder": To shout or accuse someone of murder; to raise a loud alarm.
  • He began to cry murder when he saw the intruder.
• "Get away with murder": (Idiom) To do something very bad without being punished or criticized for it.
  • That child is so spoiled; he gets away with murder. (Note: This idiom uses "murder" figuratively and does not describe the state of being "murdered.")

Adjective

1. killed unlawfully
   • the murdered woman
   • lay a wreath on murdered Lincoln's bier