Pronunciations (7)
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/ˈkɪl/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
- US
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[ˈkʰɪɫ]
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
- US
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/ˈkɪʊ̯/
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[ˈkʰɪʊ̯]
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/ˈkɪɤ̯/
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[ˈkɪɤ̯]
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/ˈkil/
Verb
To put to death; to extinguish the life of.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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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.
More examples (6)
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 : […]
Fire ants circumvented the problem of an ineffective sting by having an unusual and highly effective venom that when daubed or sprayed on other ants penetrates their waxy protective integumental barrier and kills or disables them.
Indeed, referring to his drone murder extermination campaign Obama bragged: "I'm really good at killing people!" Those are Obama's own words!
As the country reckons with how to prevent more children from being killed at school, the legacies of the Parkland victims live on.
After all, improving road safety has become a widely endorsed cause because nobody wants to kill, or be killed, in a road accident.
In announcing the review, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new health secretary, said in a statement that “antisemitism — like racism — is a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history’s most deadly plagues.”
To render inoperative.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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He killed the engine and turned off the headlights, but remained in the car, waiting.
He killed the motor.
More examples (1)
Peter: Ask Childers if it was worth his arm. Policeman: What did you do to his arm, Peter? Peter: I killed it, with a machine gun.
To stop, cease, or render void; to terminate.
Usage- Figurative
- Transitive
- Examples
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The editor decided to kill the story.
The news that a hurricane had destroyed our beach house killed our plans to sell it.
More examples (2)
My computer wouldn't respond until I killed some of the running processes.
He closed the boot, walked round to the kerbside and bent to peer into the car's interior, his face pressed to the passenger window, his hands shading his eyes to kill the reflection.
To amaze, exceed, stun, or otherwise incapacitate.
Usage- excessive
- Figurative
- Transitive
- Examples
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That night, she was dressed to kill.
That joke always kills me.
More examples (1)
He told us we ought to think of Jesus as our buddy and all. He said he talked to Jesus all the time. Even when he was driving his car. That killed me.
To cause great pain, discomfort, or distress to; to hurt.
Usage- excessive
- Figurative
- Intransitive
- Transitive
- Examples
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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.
More examples (1)
two laps into our first walk, my dad needed to sit down. His back and legs were killing him. "You'll be okay," I assured him. "You just need to shake off the rust." I gave him a couple of Advil and, after a few minutes, urged him back onto the track.
To produce feelings of dissatisfaction or revulsion in.
Usage- Figurative
- Transitive
- Examples
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It kills me to throw out three whole turkeys, but I can't get anyone to take them and they've already started to go bad.
It kills me to learn how many poor people are practically starving in this country while rich moguls spend such outrageous amounts on useless luxuries.
More examples (1)
And I really don't think you get it now No, I really don't think you get it now It's killing me, I admit it now Congratulations, you tore my heart out Congratulations
To use up or to waste.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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I'm just doing this to kill time.
More examples (1)
Except for the shirt, which he’d worn, and the check, which he’d cashed, and the bottle of port, which he’d killed in bed on Christmas night, the gifts from his family were still on the floor of his bedroom.
To overpower, overwhelm, or defeat.
Usage- Figurative
- Informal
- Transitive
- Examples
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Look at the amount of destruction to the enemy base. We pretty much killed their ability to retaliate.
The team had absolutely killed their traditional rivals, and the local sports bars were raucous with celebrations.
To force a company out of business.
Usage- Transitive
To punish severely.
Usage- excessive
- Figurative
- Informal
- Transitive
- Examples
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My parents are going to kill me!
"Father will kill us for this."
To strike (a ball, etc.) with such force and placement as to make a shot that is impossible to defend against, usually winning a point.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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More examples (1)
That close call encouraged Wales to launch another series of attacks that ended when lock Louis Deacon killed the ball illegally in the shadow of England's posts.
To cause (a ball, etc.) to be out of play, resulting in a stoppage of gameplay.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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More examples (1)
As the ball was delivered deep into St Kilda's forward line by Billings, Bontempelli had position on the goal line, with a pack forming in front of him. He decided to fly but didn't kill the ball, leaving it to spill where he had been positioned moments earlier. Jack Sinclair gratefully swooped and kicked a goal that cut the margin to five points.
To succeed with an audience, especially in comedy.
- Examples
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When comics fail, they "die"; when they succeed, they "kill."
You really killed it at the Comedy Store last night.
To cause to assume the value zero.
Usage- Informal
- Transitive
To disconnect (a user) involuntarily from the network.
Usage- Internet
- Transitive
To deadmelt.
To sexually penetrate in a skillful way.
Usage- Slang
- Examples
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I felt on her big fat fanny Pulled out the jammy and killed the punanni
To exert oneself to an excessive degree.
Usage- Informal
- Reflexive
- Examples
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Don't kill yourself raking the leaves now; we're due for a windstorm tonight.
Noun
The act of killing.
- Examples
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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.
- Examples
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The hunter delivered the kill with a pistol shot to the head.
The result of killing; that which has been killed.
- Examples
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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.
Usage- Countable
- Examples
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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.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
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 or stream; (more loosely) any watercourse, such as a channel or arm of the sea.
Usage- New-York
- Northeastern
- US usage
- Archaic
- dialectal
- Examples
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The channel beyond Staten Island, which connects Newark Bay with Bergen Neck is the Kill van Kull, or the Kills.
A creek or stream; (more loosely) any watercourse, such as a channel or arm of the sea. In particular, a waterway with a name ending in kill, such as the Beaverkill or the East Kill.
Usage- New-York
- Northeastern
- US usage
- Archaic
- dialectal
- Examples
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We're gonna go flyfishing over in the kill.
Noun
the act of terminating a life
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile
- Broader terms
- Examples
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the pilot reported two kills during the mission
the body of an animal, or bodies of animals, killed by a person or another animal
Verb
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
- Examples
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This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank
The farmer killed a pig for the holidays
thwart the passage of
- Examples
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kill a motion
he shot down the student's proposal
end or extinguish by forceful means
- Synonyms
- Examples
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Stamp out poverty!
be fatal
- Examples
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cigarettes kill
drunken driving kills
be the source of great pain for
- Examples
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These new shoes are killing me!
overwhelm with hilarity, pleasure, or admiration
- Examples
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The comedian was so funny, he was killing me!
hit with so much force as to make a return impossible, in racket games
- Broader terms
- Examples
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She killed the ball
He killed the ball
deprive of life
- Examples
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AIDS has killed thousands in Africa
cause the death of, without intention
- Examples
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She was killed in the collision of three cars
drink down entirely
- Examples
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He downed three martinis before dinner
She killed a bottle of brandy that night
More examples (1)
They popped a few beers after work
mark for deletion, rub off, or erase
- Synonyms
- Examples
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kill these lines in the President's speech
tire out completely
- Broader terms
- Examples
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The daily stress of her work is killing her
cause to cease operating
- Broader terms
- Examples
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kill the engine
destroy a vitally essential quality of or in
- Examples
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Eating artichokes kills the taste of all other foods