INDEX:
1. to kill someone
2. the act or crime of killing someone
3. to kill a large number of people
4. when a large number of people are killed
5. to kill yourself
6. someone who kills another person
7. when someone is killed as a punishment
8. when someone is killed to stop them from suffering
9. to cause death
10. able to kill you
11. to kill an animal
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ DIE
↑ DEAD
↑ WAR
↑ SHOOT
↑ HIT
↑ ACCIDENT
↑ HURT/INJURE
↑ ILLNESS/DISEASE
↑ VIOLENT
↑ CRIME
↑ EXPLODE
↑ REVENGE
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1. to kill someone
▷ kill /kɪl/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to make someone die, especially deliberately or violently :
▪ He claims that he didn’t mean to kill his wife.
▪ The police believe the man may kill again.
▪ What the hell were you doing! You could have killed me!
▪ Official sources say that 20 people were killed in last night’s air raids.
▪ My sixteen-year-old son Louis was killed by a drunk driver two years ago.
▷ murder /ˈmɜːʳdəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to deliberately kill someone, especially after planning to do it :
▪ Wilson is accused of murdering his daughter and her boyfriend.
▪ One of the country’s top judges has been murdered by the Mafia.
▷ assassinate /əˈsæsɪneɪt, əˈsæsəneɪtǁ-s ə neɪt/ [transitive verb]
to murder an important or famous person, especially for political reasons :
▪ President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
▪ an attempt to assassinate the Pope
assassination /əˌsæsɪˈneɪʃ ə n, əˌsæsəˈneɪʃ ə nǁ-s ə nˈeɪ-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
assassinate of
▪ The assassination of Indira Gandhi caused a crisis in India.
▷ beat/kick/stab etc somebody to death /ˌbiːt somebody tə ˈdeθ/ [verb phrase]
to kill someone by beating them, kicking them, or attacking them with a knife :
▪ The court heard how the man was beaten to death by racist thugs.
▪ A social worker was found stabbed to death in her office last night.
▪ Smith had apparently been kicked to death.
▷ poison /ˈpɔɪz ə n/ [transitive verb]
to kill someone by putting a very harmful substance in their food or drink :
▪ He believed that somebody was trying to poison him.
▪ She had already poisoned three members of her own family with arsenic.
▷ drown /draʊn/ [transitive verb]
to kill someone by holding their face under water for a long time :
▪ He accused his brother of trying to drown him.
▷ strangle /ˈstræŋg ə l/ [transitive verb]
to kill someone by pressing on their throat with both hands or with something such as a piece of string so that they cannot breathe :
▪ Police said that the victim had been strangled.
▪ He slid his hands around her neck and tried to strangle her.
▷ bump off /ˌbʌmp ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to kill someone - often used humorously :
bump off somebody/bump somebody off
▪ He kept marrying rich women and then bumping them off.
have somebody bumped off
arrange for someone to be killed
▪ His uncle decided to have him bumped off.
▷ do away with /ˌduː əˈweɪ wɪð/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to kill someone, especially because they are a threat or their death would be convenient :
▪ Perhaps his wife had taken the opportunity to do away with her rival.
2. the act or crime of killing someone
▷ murder /ˈmɜːʳdəʳ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the act or crime of deliberately killing someone :
▪ New York paid tribute to the thousands of innocent people murdered on September 11th.
▪ a series of brutal murders
▪ The incidence of violent crimes -- murder, rape, and assault -- has increased in inner city areas.
murder of
▪ Ronny Jones was found guilty of the murder of a 15 year old girl.
commit murder
to murder someone
▪ The gun was found five miles from where the murder was committed.
attempted murder
the crime of unsuccessfully trying to kill someone
▪ He was charged with attempted murder and found guilty.
murder victim
▪ The murder victim has not yet been identified.
▷ homicide /ˈhɒmɪsaɪd, ˈhɒməsaɪdǁˈhɑː-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the crime of killing someone, especially deliberately - used especially in American legal contexts :
▪ 70 per cent of homicides take place within the family.
▪ As yet no evidence has been found to suggest that this death was homicide.
homicide case/charge/detective
▪ A newspaper article criticized his handling of a homicide case
▷ manslaughter /ˈmænˌslɔːtəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
the crime of killing someone by accident, or while you are trying to defend yourself :
▪ She denied murdering her husband, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
▪ The court decided there was insufficient evidence for a manslaughter charge.
manslaughter of
▪ The driver of the train was charged with the manslaughter of 13 people.
▷ killing /ˈkɪlɪŋ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when someone is deliberately killed - used especially in news reports :
▪ A terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the killing.
killing of
▪ The defendant claimed that he was only avenging the killing of his brother.
contract killing
when someone has been paid to kill someone else
▪ Perry said Taylor approached him and asked him to carry out a contract killing on Johnson.
▷ assassination /əˌsæsɪˈneɪʃ ə n, əˌsæsəˈneɪʃ ə nǁ-s ə nˈeɪ-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when someone deliberately kills a famous or important person, especially for political reasons :
▪ Three foreign diplomats have been killed in a series of assassinations.
assassination of
▪ The assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo led to the First World War.
▪ Flowers were laid to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon.
▷ foul play /ˌfaʊl ˈpleɪ/ [uncountable noun] formal
if the police think that foul play is involved in a person’s death, they think that the person has been murdered :
▪ There was no question of foul play - a suicide note was found near the body.
▪ The medical report showed no signs of poison in the body but the police still suspect foul play.
3. to kill a large number of people
▷ kill /kɪl/ [transitive verb]
▪ Thousands of the rebels were killed in a gun battle with government troops.
▪ The gunman killed 22 people and wounded 15, before turning his gun on himself.
▷ massacre /ˈmæsəkəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to kill a large number of people easily, because they are not able to defend themselves well enough :
▪ They have massacred hundreds of innocent people.
▪ Claims by refugees that 1000 people had been massacred were denied by the local authorities.
▷ slaughter /ˈslɔːtəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to kill a large number of people in a very cruel or violent way :
▪ Men ran through the village burning houses and slaughtering the inhabitants.
▪ Men, women and children were slaughtered in groups by their captors.
▷ exterminate /ɪkˈstɜːʳmɪneɪt, ɪkˈstɜːʳməneɪt/ [transitive verb]
to kill large numbers of a particular group or race of people so that it no longer exists :
▪ There was an attempt to exterminate ethnic groups in the north of the country.
extermination /ɪkˌstɜːʳmɪˈneɪʃ ə n, ɪkˌstɜːʳməˈneɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
exterminate of
▪ In Tasmania there was total extermination of the aboriginal population.
4. when a large number of people are killed
▷ massacre /ˈmæsəkəʳ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when a large number of people are easily killed, because they are not able to defend themselves :
▪ The soldiers who carried out the massacre have not been identified.
massacre of
▪ The students claimed the two men had ordered the massacre of 200 people in Kwangju.
▷ slaughter /ˈslɔːtəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
when a large number of people are killed in a very cruel or violent way :
▪ The slaughter was terrible - the whole field was covered with bodies.
▪ Many are determined to avenge the slaughter in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
slaughter of
▪ His war crimes included the deliberate slaughter of 250,000 individuals.
▷ carnage /ˈkɑːʳnɪdʒ/ [uncountable noun]
when a large number of people are violently killed, especially in a war - used especially in newspapers :
▪ The war was over. The carnage had ceased.
▪ The foreign minister has asked ambassadors from several states to help end the carnage.
▷ mass murder /ˌmæs ˈmɜːʳdəʳ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when one or more people kill a large number of people violently at about the same time :
▪ Details are still emerging of this, the biggest mass murder in Canadian history.
mass murder of
▪ the mass murder of innocent people
▷ genocide /ˈdʒenəsaɪd/ [uncountable noun]
when a whole group or race of people are killed in a planned and organized way :
▪ What is going on is not just war, it is genocide.
▪ In recent history, the existence of prejudice has led to violence and genocide.
5. to kill yourself
▷ kill yourself /ˈkɪl jɔːʳˌself/ [verb phrase]
▪ He killed himself by jumping under a train.
▪ She tried to kill herself when news of the scandal leaked out.
▪ You’ll kill yourself if you go on drinking like that.
▷ suicide /ˈsuːɪsaɪd, ˈsuːəsaɪd, ˈsjuː-ǁˈsuː-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when someone deliberately kills himself or herself :
▪ Police are treating the man’s death as suicide.
▪ There is grave concern about the number of teenage suicides recorded last year.
commit suicide
▪ Barry threatened to commit suicide if she refused to marry him.
suicide attempt
▪ Stephen required hospital treatment after his suicide attempt.
▷ take your own life /ˌteɪk jɔːr əʊn ˈlaɪf/ [verb phrase] formal
to kill yourself :
▪ Many religions consider that it is a sin to take your own life.
▪ Desperately frustrated and alone, she could see no way out except to take her own life.
▷ suicidal /ˌsuːɪˈsaɪdl◂, ˌsuːəˈsaɪdl◂, ˌsjuː-ǁˌsuː-/ [adjective]
someone who is suicidal is likely to kill themselves because they are extremely unhappy :
▪ The thought of having to stay in the house all day made me feel almost suicidal.
suicidal tendencies
behaviour that shows you may try to kill yourself
▪ Had the prisoner previously displayed suicidal tendencies?
▷ end it all /ˈend ɪt ɔːl/ [verb phrase] informal
if you want to end it all, you want to kill yourself because you are extremely unhappy, lonely etc - used especially in stories :
▪ Sometimes I feel so low I just feel like ending it all.
6. someone who kills another person
▷ murderer /ˈmɜːʳdərəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who has deliberately killed another person :
▪ Do you think the police will ever catch her murderer?
▪ A convicted murderer was on the run last night after escaping from Lewes prison.
mass murderer
someone who has murdered a lot of people
▪ In prison he enjoyed reading biographies of other mass murderers.
▷ killer /ˈkɪləʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who deliberately kills someone else - used especially in newspapers :
▪ The victim’s best friend, Joanne, is convinced the killer is local.
▪ The judge described him as ‘a cold-blooded killer’.
killer of
▪ Police are searching for the killer of a 9 year old boy.
serial killer
someone who has killed a number of people, one after the other
▪ Dr Shipman is the biggest serial killer of all time.
▷ assassin /əˈsæsɪn, əˈsæsən/ [countable noun]
someone who kills a famous or important person, sometimes because someone else has paid them to do it :
▪ Although the assassins were never caught, it is commonly believed that they were working for the government.
▪ His assassins must have been aware of his security arrangements.
▷ hitman/contract killer /ˈhɪtmæn, ˈkɒntrækt ˌkɪləʳǁˈkɑːn-/ [countable noun]
someone who is paid to kill people illegally :
▪ The hitman used the top floor room of a hotel opposite the square.
▪ The police believe the murder could be the work of a contract killer.
▷ psychopath also psycho informal /ˈsaɪkəpæθ, ˈsaɪkəʊ/ [countable noun]
someone who has a mental illness that makes them kill people :
▪ Dr Green said that, in his opinion, Perry was a dangerous psychopath who might kill again.
7. when someone is killed as a punishment
▷ execute /ˈeksɪkjuːt, ˈeksəkjuːt/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to kill someone as a punishment for a serious crime :
▪ King Charles I was executed on 30th January 1649.
▪ The two young men spent 6 months in jail waiting to be executed.
execute somebody for something
because of a particular crime
▪ This is a backward and cruel society, in which people are executed for homosexuality and adultery.
execution /ˌeksɪˈkjuːʃ ə n, ˌeksəˈkjuːʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ No date has been set for her execution.
▪ If his appeal fails, his last hope to avoid execution is the US Supreme Court.
▷ put somebody to death /ˌpʊt somebody tə ˈdeθ/ [verb phrase] written
to officially arrange for someone that you have power over to be killed - used especially in historical descriptions :
▪ The chief priests wanted to arrest Jesus and put him to death.
▪ No woman had been put to death in the state since the American Revolution.
have somebody put to death
▪ The queen would have people put to death for her own amusement.
▷ capital punishment /ˌkæpɪtl ˈpʌnɪʃmənt, ˌkæpətl ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ [uncountable noun]
the system of killing criminals as a legal punishment :
▪ I don’t believe bringing back capital punishment would reduce crime.
▪ Most people that we questioned were against capital punishment.
▷ the death penalty /ðə ˈdeθ ˌpenlti/ [noun phrase]
the legal punishment of being killed for a serious crime :
▪ The death penalty does not exist in Britain.
▪ Do you think they should bring back the death penalty?
carry the death penalty
to be a crime for which the punishment is death
▪ Murder is one of the few offences that carries the death penalty.
▷ death sentence /ˈdeθ ˌsentəns/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the punishment of death that a judge decides to give to someone who is guilty of a serious crime :
receive/be given a death sentence
▪ He is the youngest person ever to be given a death sentence in San Diego County.
▷ capital offence British /capital offense American also capital crime /ˌkæpɪtl əˈfens, ˌkæpɪtl ˈkraɪm/ [countable noun]
an offence or crime that will be punished by death :
▪ Drug-smuggling is a capital offence in many countries.
▷ be on death row /biː ɒn ˌdeθ ˈrəʊ/ [verb phrase]
if a criminal is on death row, they are in prison before being killed as punishment for a crime, especially in the US :
▪ Larson has been on death row since 1995 for murdering a taxi driver.
▷ condemned /kəˈdemd/ [adjective only before noun]
a condemned man, prisoner etc is in prison before he or she is killed as punishment for a crime :
▪ The state allows no communication with a condemned man.
▪ Here are the kitchens where the condemned prisoner’s last meal was prepared.
8. when someone is killed to stop them from suffering
▷ euthanasia /ˌjuːθəˈneɪziəǁ-ˈneɪʒə/ [uncountable noun]
when someone who is very old or very ill is killed in a painless way in order to stop them suffering any longer - use this to talk about this practice in general :
▪ In the Netherlands euthanasia has already been legalized.
▪ Most doctors are opposed to euthanasia on ethical grounds.
▷ mercy killing /ˈmɜːʳsi ˌkɪlɪŋ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when someone who is very ill is killed in a painless way in order to stop them suffering any longer :
▪ Some doctors carry out mercy killings by giving large quantities of pain-killing drugs.
9. to cause death
▷ kill /kɪl/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to cause someone’s death - use this especially about accidents, diseases, or substances :
▪ A car drove onto the pavement, killing three of Mrs Maguire’s children.
▪ The explosion killed 32 people.
▪ The disease has already killed more than 2000 in Latin America.
▪ Many people do not realize that these drugs are dangerous and can kill.
be killed in a crash/accident etc
▪ James Dean was killed in a car crash in 1955.
▷ cause death /ˌkɔːz ˈdeθ/ [verb phrase]
to make someone die :
▪ Rhubarb leaves, either raw or cooked, can cause violent stomach pains or even death.
▪ Research is being done into the virus that caused the death of 15,000 seals last summer.
▪ The injuries sustained by the victim were not sufficient to have caused death in a healthy person.
cause of death [noun phrase]
▪ The cause of death was a broken neck.
▷ kill off /ˌkɪl ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to cause the death of a group of plants or animals :
kill off something
▪ It was the cold winter of 1992 that finally killed off the last of the roses.
▪ Pollution in the lakes and streams has been killing off many species of fish.
kill something off
▪ If you plant your seedlings out too soon, a late frost might kill them off.
▷ destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ [transitive verb]
to kill things, especially plants and trees, so that they can never start to grow again :
▪ A vast amount of the Amazonian rainforest is being destroyed every day.
▪ Milk is heat treated for a few seconds to destroy bacteria.
destruction /dɪˈstrʌkʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
destroy of
▪ We should be discouraging the unnecessary destruction of any wild species.
▷ be a killer /biː ə ˈkɪləʳ/ [verb phrase]
if an illness is a killer, it kills a lot of people, especially because there is no cure :
▪ In those days measles was a major killer.
▪ Diphtheria is still a killer in many developing countries.
▷ wipe out /ˌwaɪp ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to kill a complete group or race of people, or all of a type of animal or plant, so that it no longer exists :
wipe out somebody/something
▪ The entire village was wiped out.
▪ Archaeologists think that massive floods could have wiped out the dinosaurs.
wipe somebody/something out
▪ The fur trade has wiped leopards out in some areas.
▷ decimate /ˈdesɪmeɪt, ˈdesəmeɪt/ [transitive verb]
to kill large numbers of the people, animals, or plants in a particular place :
▪ Cambodia’s 21-year war decimated the wildlife population.
▪ His prize herd of cows has been decimated by an unknown disease.
decimation /ˌdesɪˈmeɪʃ ə n, ˌdesəˈmeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
decimate of
▪ After the decimation of the rainforests, life on earth will be very different.
10. able to kill you
▷ fatal /ˈfeɪtl/ [adjective]
a fatal accident, illness, or injury is one that causes death :
▪ He suffered a fatal injury to the neck.
fatal to
▪ A sudden shock could be fatal to anyone with a weak heart.
fatally [adverb]
fatally injured/wounded
▪ The bank manager was fatally wounded during the robbery.
▷ lethal /ˈliːθ ə l/ [adjective]
something that is lethal can cause death - use this especially about weapons or substances :
▪ The poison produced by the frog’s skin is so lethal that it can paralyze a bird or a monkey immediately.
▪ A lethal cocktail of pollutants is being poured into Scotland’s coastal waters, according to Greenpeace.
lethal weapon
▪ Almost any sharp or pointed object can potentially be a lethal weapon.
lethal to
▪ Most pesticides are lethal to earthworms on or near the surface.
▷ deadly /ˈdedli/ [adjective]
something such as a disease or poison that is deadly can cause death :
▪ In the First World War pneumonia was as deadly as bullets and shells.
▪ Some mushrooms are edible while others, which look almost identical, contain deadly poisons.
▷ killer /ˈkɪləʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
a killer disease or thing could kill or has killed a lot of people - used especially in newspapers :
▪ A swarm of killer bees has attacked 70 children in a village in northern Mexico.
▪ Killer floods and hurricanes in Asia have destroyed whole towns.
▷ mortal /ˈmɔːʳtl/ [adjective only before noun]
a mortal injury, wound, or disease is one that causes death - used especially in literature :
▪ He killed Leonardo and received a mortal wound himself.
▪ He gathered all his strength to deliver his opponent the final mortal blow.
mortally [adverb]
mortally wounded/ill
▪ Wolfe and his opponent Montcalm were both mortally wounded in the battle.
11. to kill an animal
▷ kill /kɪl/ [transitive verb]
▪ Is it morally acceptable to kill animals for food?
▪ You shouldn’t really kill spiders, even if you’re frightened of them.
▪ They were so hungry they killed the rest of their livestock that winter.
▷ slaughter /ˈslɔːtəʳ/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to kill farm animals, either for their meat or skins, or because they are ill :
▪ The only way to stop the virus spreading is by slaughtering all infected animals.
▪ As part of the ceremony a cow was slaughtered and placed on the stone altar.
slaughter [uncountable noun]
▪ Most of the cattle will be sent for slaughter.
▷ destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to kill an animal in a painless way, especially using drugs, because it is dangerous or in pain :
▪ The Animal Disease Authority decided to destroy the cattle that were infected with the disease.
have something destroyed
▪ The court ordered the owner of the rottweilers to have the dogs destroyed.
▷ put down/put to sleep British /ˌpʊt ˈdaʊn, pʊt tə ˈsliːp/ [transitive phrasal verb/verb phrase usually in passive]
to kill an animal, especially a pet, in a painless way, because it is very old or very ill, or is not wanted :
▪ When our old cat became very sick we had to ask the vet to put her down.
▪ She rescued Sandy from the Animal Shelter the day before he was due to be put to sleep.
have something put down/put to sleep
▪ A blind dog is no use to a shepherd. I’m afraid I’m going to have to have him put down.
▷ cull /kʌl/ [transitive verb]
to kill a large number of animals, for example in order to stop a disease spreading or to keep the numbers of a particular animal population down :
▪ Over two million sheep have been culled to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.
cull [countable noun]
▪ The cull is thought to have cost many farmers their livelihoods.
▪ a seal cull