(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If a person, animal, or other living thing is ~ed, something or someone causes them to die.
More than 1,000 people have been ~ed by the armed forces...
He had attempted to ~ himself on several occasions...
The earthquake ~ed 62 people...
Heroin can ~.
VERB: be V-ed, V pron-refl, V n, V
~ing
There is tension in the region following the ~ing of seven civilians.
N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n
2.
The act of ~ing an animal after hunting it is referred to as the ~.
After the ~ the men and old women collect in an open space and eat a meal of whale meat.
N-COUNT: usu sing
3.
If someone or something ~s a project, activity, or idea, they completely destroy or end it.
His objective was to ~ the space station project altogether...
VERB: V n
•
Kill off means the same as ~ .
He would soon launch a second offensive, ~ing off the peace process...
The Government’s financial squeeze had ~ed the scheme off.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P
4.
If something ~s pain, it weakens it so that it is no longer as strong as it was.
He was forced to take opium to ~ the pain.
VERB: V n
5.
If you say that something is ~ing you, you mean that it is causing you physical or emotional pain. (INFORMAL)
My feet are ~ing me.
VERB: only cont, V pron
6.
If you say that you ~ yourself to do something, you are emphasizing that you make a great effort to do it, even though it causes you a lot of trouble or suffering. (INFORMAL)
You shouldn’t always have to ~ yourself to do well.
VERB: V pron-refl emphasis
7.
If you say that you will ~ someone for something they have done, you are emphasizing that you are extremely angry with them.
Tell Richard I’m going to ~ him when I get hold of him.
VERB: V n emphasis
8.
If you say that something will not ~ you, you mean that it is not really as difficult or unpleasant as it might seem. (INFORMAL)
Three or four more weeks won’t ~ me!
VERB: V pron
9.
If you are ~ing time, you are doing something because you have some time available, not because you really want to do it.
I’m just ~ing time until I can talk to the other witnesses...
To ~ the hours while she waited, Ann worked in the garden.
VERB: V n, V n, also V n -ing
10.
If you say that you will do something if it ~s you, you are emphasizing that you are determined to do it even though it is extremely difficult or painful.
I’ll make this marriage work if it ~s me.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR with cl emphasis
11.
If you say that you ~ed yourself laughing, you are emphasizing that you laughed a lot because you thought something was extremely funny. (INFORMAL)
PHRASE: V inflects emphasis
12.
If you move in for the ~ or if you close in for the ~, you take advantage of a changed situation in order to do something that you have been preparing to do.
Seeing his chance, Dennis moved in for the ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
to ~ two birds with one stone: see bird
dressed to ~: see dressed
to be ~ed outright: see outright