From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishkillkill1 /kɪl/ ●●● S1 W1 verb 1 make somebody/something die [intransitive, transitive]KILL to make a person or animal die Why did she kill her husband? Murray held a gun to his head and threatened to kill him. Four people were killed when a train plunged into a flooded river.be killed instantly/outright (=immediately) The driver was killed instantly. Bleach kills household germs. Smoking kills.2 → kill yourself3 make something stop/fail [transitive]STOP something THAT IS HAPPENING to make something stop operating or fail Joe pulled in and killed the engine. The out-of-town shopping centre will kill local trade.kill your speed (=drive slowly)4 be angry with somebody [transitive] informalANGRY to be very angry with someone Mom will kill me if I’m late.5 annoyed/sad [transitive]TIREDSAD/UNHAPPY to make someone feel annoyed, sad, concerned etcit kills somebody to do something It kills me to see him working so hard. What happened next? The suspense is killing me.6 → would/could kill for something7 → my head/back etc is killing me8 → kill time/an hour etc9 → kill a beer/bottle of wine etc10 make somebody laugh [transitive]FUNNY to make someone laugh a lotkill yourself laughing They weren’t bothered – in fact, they were killing themselves laughing. 11 → it won’t/wouldn’t kill somebody (to do something)12 → (even) if it kills me13 → kill two birds with one stone14 → kill the goose that lays the golden egg15 → kill the fatted calf16 → kill somebody with kindness17 → kill or cure → dressed to kill at dressed(3)THESAURUSkill to make someone dieThe driver and his passenger were killed in the crash.He was killed by rival gang members.murder to deliberately kill someone – used when talking about this as a crimeHe was convicted of murdering his wife.commit manslaughter to kill someone without intending to – used when talking about this as a crimeThe court ruled that the guard had committed manslaughter.assassinate to deliberately kill an important person, especially a politicianHe was part of a plot to assassinate Hitler. slay to kill someone or something in a violent way – used in newspaper reports and also in old storiesTwo teenagers were slain in the shootings.St. George slew the dragon.The king was slain at the battle of Hastings.execute formal (also put somebody to death) to kill someone as a punishment for a crimeMcVeigh, who killed 168 people in a bombing attack, was executed by lethal injection.eliminate to kill someone in order to prevent them from causing troublea ruthless dictator who eliminated all his rivalstake somebody out informal to kill someone in order to get rid of them, especially an enemy or someone who is causing trouble for youUS forces used air strikes to take out the enemy positions.One of the other drug dealers may have decided to take him out. bump somebody off humorous informal to kill someoneHe was so irritating I felt like bumping him off myself.do away with somebody informal to kill someoneThe settlers in Jamestown had been done away with, but no one knew how.to kill yourselfcommit suicide to kill yourselfHe committed suicide after the death of his girlfriend.take your own life formal to kill yourselfHe had taken his own life while he was severely depressed.They believe that it is a sin to take your own life.to kill a large number of peoplemassacre to kill a large number of people in a violent wayThousands of peaceful demonstrators were massacred by the soldiers.slaughter to kill a large number of people in a violent way. Slaughter is also used about killing animals for foodThe army slaughtered thousands of civilians in an effort to stop the revolt.The pigs were slaughtered on the farm. exterminate to kill large numbers of a particular group, so that they no longer existHitler’s goal was to exterminate the Jews. → kill something ↔ off→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
kill• The gunman killed 22 people and wounded 15, before turning his gun on himself.• The explosion killed 32 people.• Many people do not realize that these drugs are dangerous and can kill.• Smoking kills.• He told Creon that Thebes would be save only if Menoeceus was killed.• He was capable of killing a man with his bare hands.• The police believe the man may kill again.• During his address, some shots were fired, two men were killed, and several wounded.• Is it morally acceptable to kill animals for food?• My sixteen-year-old son Louis was killed by a drunk driver two years ago.• I thought he had been in a car accident that had killed everyone else.• On May 3,1885, police fired into a crowd of strikers in Chicago, wounding many and killing four.• Noland is accused of killing her stepfather.• He claims that he didn't mean to kill his wife.• James Dean was killed in a car crash in 1955.• Official sources say that 20 people were killed in last night's air raids.• Carrie will kill me if I forget her birthday.• Alan wore a dress to the party? That kills me!• They've tried to kill me.• The disease has already killed more than 2000 in Latin America.• Mr Howard released a statement in an effort to kill speculation in the press.• Quick! Kill the lights.• Some one possessing special strength or skill attacks and kills the monster or drives him away.• Could you give me something to kill the pain?• Losing funding now would kill the project.• A car drove onto the pavement, killing three of Mrs Maguire's children.• I was early, so I sat in a café, killing time.• The second Returner had killed two men, and had also been destroyed in the process before full analysis could commence.be killed instantly/outright• Both the Prince and his wife were killed instantly.• Park and Sheena were killed instantly.• The aeroplane crashed and your brother was killed instantly.• The only consolation, I think she was killed instantly.• The boy was killed instantly and Ballantine was seen later crying a few yards away from his body.• Nadine was killed instantly and Deanne died in hospital four hours later.• He was killed instantly, and two others were wounded.• A total of 210 people were killed outright by the soldiers, another seventy-one died later and 173 were less seriously wounded.it kills somebody to do something• I mean, it kills me to think of them.killkill2 noun 1 KILL[countable usually singular] the act of killing a hunted animal He raised his knife for the kill.2 → move in/close in for the kill3 [singular]KILL an animal that is killed by another animal The cubs will share the remains of the kill.Examples from the Corpus
kill• The snakes are sometimes hard to find, so the Webers never miss a chance to make a kill.• Shoot only if you are confident of a kill.• The winning point came on a kill by Amy Earle.• This was his fourth patrol of the day and only his first kill of the week.• That lasted only a few seconds; then the leopard got a good hold on its kill.• But you can never effect a total kill.• In 1963, too, the sperm-whale kill reached its peak, claiming about thirty thousand of the great beasts.From Longman Business Dictionarykillkill /kɪl/ verb [transitive] if someone kills an idea, product etc, they decide to stop developing it, selling it etcThey have killed plans for a weekly regional magazine in Los Angeles. → see also fill or kill→ See Verb tableOrigin kill1 (1200-1300) Probably from an unrecorded Old English cyllan 