kill

Study(25)

UK /kɪl/ US [kʰɪɫ]

noun 7verb 5name 1

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

easy, quick

VERB + KILL

make

The hunter made a kill at dawn after waiting in the forest all night.

be in at

She was so excited to be in at the kill when they finally caught the criminal.

close in for, move in for

The boxer waited for his opponent to drop his guard before closing in for the kill.

PREP

at the ~

The hunters celebrated their success at the kill, sharing stories of the difficult chase.

for the ~

The lion waited patiently in the grass, preparing itself for the kill.

(verb.)

ADV

outright

The accident killed two people outright on the highway last night.

almost, nearly | instantly | accidentally | unlawfully

VERB + KILL

want to

be prepared to

Some extremists are prepared to kill for their political beliefs.

threaten to

be going to, intend to

My dad intends to kill me if he sees the scratch on his car.

plot to

The police discovered a secret group plotting to kill the prime minister.

try to | help (to)

make sb

The constant bullying made him want to kill himself.

PHRASES

admit/deny killing sb, be accused of killing sb, be charged with killing sb, be killed in sth

The driver was accused of killing a pedestrian when he ran a red light.

be tragically killed

A young journalist was tragically killed while reporting on the conflict in the region.

Definitions

verb

To put to death; to extinguish the life of.

Smoking kills more people each year than alcohol and hard drugs combined.

A Troope of Horſe with Felt: Ile put't in proofe, / And when I haue ſtolne vpon theſe Son in Lawes, / Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

To render inoperative.

He killed the engine and turned off the headlights, but remained in the car, waiting.

He killed the motor.

To stop, cease, or render void; to terminate.

The editor decided to kill the story.

The news that a hurricane had destroyed our beach house killed our plans to sell it.

To amaze, exceed, stun, or otherwise incapacitate.

That night, she was dressed to kill.

That joke always kills me.

To cause great pain, discomfort, or distress to; to hurt.

These tight shoes are killing my feet.

You don't ever want to get rabies. The doctor will have to give you multiple shots and they really kill.

noun

The act of killing.

The assassin liked to make a clean kill, and thus favored small arms over explosives.

The blonde women were in a frenzy of excitement, their faces transformed from dull moronity to living evil; they shouted like wild animals at the kill.

Specifically, the death blow.

The hunter delivered the kill with a pistol shot to the head.

The result of killing; that which has been killed.

The fox dragged its kill back to its den.

If ye plunder his kill from a weaker, devour not all in thy pride.

An instance of killing; a score on the tally of enemy personnel or vehicles killed or destroyed.

confirmed kills

A flying ace is usually one with five or more confirmed kills.

The grounding of the ball on the opponent's court, winning the rally.

As a senior in 1993, Turner had a kill percentage of 40.8, which was a school record at the time and the best in the SAC. Turner concluded her volleyball career with 1,349 kills, ranking fifth all-time at Catawba.

noun

A creek; a body of water; a channel or arm of the sea.

The channel beyond Staten Island, which connects Newark Bay with Bergen Neck is the Kill van Kull, or the Kills.

Schuylkill, Catskill, etc.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — the act of terminating a life

killing

verb — mark for deletion, rub off, or erase

obliterate

verb — drink down entirely

verb — thwart the passage of

defeat

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

kill two birds with one stone

To solve two problems with one single action.

Biking to work kills two birds with one stone. It saves money travelling and will help to lose weight.

kill the fatted calf

To begin a festive celebration and rejoice for someone's long-awaited return.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

To seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.

Have the increases in ordinary fares begun to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

dress to kill

To dress up so as to impress others (especially of the opposite sex).

in for the kill

Intending to kill or destroy someone or something.

If you go hunting and want to bring something back to eat, you have to be in for the kill.

Example Bank

Smoking kills more people each year than alcohol and hard drugs combined.

Wiktionary

A Troope of Horſe with Felt: Ile put't in proofe, / And when I haue ſtolne vpon theſe Son in Lawes, / Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

Wiktionary

Stephano: Monſter, I will kill this man : his daughter and I will be King and Queene, ſave our Graces : and Trinculo and thy ſelfe ſhall be Vice-royes : […]

Wiktionary

The assassin liked to make a clean kill, and thus favored small arms over explosives.

Wiktionary

The blonde women were in a frenzy of excitement, their faces transformed from dull moronity to living evil; they shouted like wild animals at the kill.

Wiktionary

The hunter delivered the kill with a pistol shot to the head.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, kill is marked as figuratively, rare. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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