From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmurdermur‧der1 /ˈmɜːdə $ ˈmɜːrdər/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]SCCKILL the crime of deliberately killing someone → manslaughter On the night the murder was committed, he was out of the country. The man accused of her murder will appear in court today.murder of the brutal murder of a child He was found guilty of attempted murder. She was charged with two counts of first degree murder. The mother of the murder victim wept in court. Police are searching for the murder weapon. Detectives have launched a murder investigation.► see thesaurus at crime2 → get away with murder3 → be murder4 → be murder on something → scream blue murder at scream1(1)COLLOCATIONSverbscommit (a) murder (=murder someone)Whoever had committed these murders had planned them carefully.be guilty of murderThey had wished him dead, but that did not make them guilty of murder.accuse somebody of murder (=say that you think someone murdered a person)Dillon was accused of both murders.deny murder (=say that you did not kill someone)The four accused men all deny murder.charge somebody with murder (=officially say that someone may be guilty of murder)Is there enough evidence to charge him with murder?investigate a murderThe police are investigating the murder of a homeless man.solve a murder (=find out who murdered someone)The murder has never been solved.adjectivesa brutal/horrific murder (=violent and cruel)He is wanted for the brutal murder of a young girl.cold-blooded murder (=not caused by strong emotions)He didn’t kill his wife in a moment of anger; it was cold-blooded murder.premeditated murder (=planned before it happens)He was charged with premeditated murder.an unsolved murder (=for which the killer has never been found)Police questioned the man about two unsolved murders.attempted murder (=the crime of trying to kill someone)I am arresting you for attempted murder.first-degree murder (also murder in the first degree) American English (=the most serious type of murder under U.S. law)If convicted of first-degree murder, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.mass murder (=of a large number of people)Hitler was responsible for the largest mass murder in history.murder + NOUNa murder victim (=someone who has been murdered)The family of the murder victim pleaded for information to find the killer.a murder weapon (=the gun, knife etc used to murder someone)Have they found the murder weapon?a murder scene (=where a murder happened)His blood matched the blood found at the murder scene.a murder investigationA murder investigation is underway after a woman’s body was found in a tunnel.a murder charge (=an official statement saying someone may be guilty of murder)He has escaped a murder charge, but his career is finished.phrasesa motive for murder (=a reason to kill someone)Police believe the motive for the murders was robbery.
Examples from the Corpus
murder• He was suspected of as many as 44 murders.• He was charged with attempted murder and found guilty.• a series of brutal murders• The incidence of violent crimes -- murder, rape, and assault -- has increased in inner city areas.• Why would a double murder in Cologne have been passed to counter-intelligence?• Curtis's husband has been charged with her murder.• a five-month murder trial• There had been two more murders.• If convicted of murder and one additional charge, Davis could be sentenced to death.• Short of murder, whatever occurred between husband and wife was not considered by Locke to be of public concern.• New York paid tribute to the thousands of innocent people murdered on September 11th.• They joined Gundovald after Chilperic's murder in 584.• Ronny Jones was found guilty of the murder of a 15 year old girl.• The gun was found five miles from where the murder was committed.• In the first 10 months of the year, the murder rate fell by 17. 3 percent from last year.• The murder victim has not yet been identified.murder ... committed• He would strip the state of its natural right to adjudicate a murder committed within its boundaries.• His indictment lists 29 individual murders committed between June and October 1992.murdermurder2 ●●● W3 verb [transitive] 1 SCCKILLto kill someone deliberately and illegally He was convicted of murdering a policeman. Thousands of civilians were brutally murdered during the civil war. the murdered man► see thesaurus at kill2 informalDO BADLY to spoil a song, play etc by performing it very badly It’s a good song, but they murdered it.3 → somebody will murder you4 → I could murder a beer/pizza etc5 informalBEAT/DEFEAT to defeat someone completely They murdered us in the final.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
murder• On his order, a million people were brutally murdered.• The next morning, another black who was allegedly part of the ambush party was brought to the same spot and murdered.• Your husband, Lady Isabella, had secrets - that is why he was murdered.• The girl had been raped and murdered.• The confessor was murdered and Dymphna was beheaded for reftising to return home.• She was murdered before she could call for help.• Read in studio An inquest has opened on a young girl, who it's alleged was murdered by her father.• One of the country's top judges has been murdered by the Mafia.• The latent thought is the notion that Gloucester may be plotting to murder him - an idea too horrifying to contemplate.• Wilson is accused of murdering his daughter and her boyfriend.• The opening act murdered "Love is All Around."• the murdered manOrigin murder1 Partly from Old English morthor, partly from Old French murdre 