killed

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Caused the death of a person, animal, or plant.

   Grammar: Takes a direct object: killed the spider.

   Patterns

   • kill someone/something
   • be killed by something

   The farmer killed a chicken for dinner.

   He was killed in a car accident last year.

   The frost killed all the young plants.

2. 2verbtransitive

   Put an end to something; destroyed or ruined it.

   Grammar: Often used with abstract nouns like 'idea', 'project', 'hope'.

   Patterns

   • kill a plan
   • kill the mood
   • kill a story

   The editor killed the story before it was published.

   That bad news killed the party atmosphere.

   His constant criticism killed her enthusiasm.

3. 3verbtransitiveinformal

   Spent time doing something boring or waiting.

   Grammar: Informal; often used in phrases like 'kill time'.

   Patterns

   • kill time
   • kill an hour

   We killed time at the airport by playing cards.

   She killed an hour reading magazines.

4. 4verbtransitiveinformal

   Turned off or stopped a device, engine, or light.

   Grammar: Informal; common in computing and mechanical contexts.

   Patterns

   • kill the engine
   • kill the lights
   • kill a process

   He killed the engine and got out of the car.

   Please kill the lights before you leave.

   The technician killed the faulty process on the server.

Word forms

Common combinations

be killed in an accident

Two people were killed in the accident on the highway.

kill time

We killed time at the mall while waiting for the movie.

kill a story

The newspaper decided to kill the story for legal reasons.

kill the engine

She killed the engine and listened to the silence.

kill two birds with one stone

By cycling to work, he kills two birds with one stone: exercise and saving money.

Synonyms and how they differ

murder

Murder means to kill someone illegally and intentionally; it is a more specific and serious legal term.

slay

Slay is literary or archaic; it often appears in stories about heroes killing dragons or enemies.

assassinate

Assassinate means to kill a famous or important person, usually for political reasons.

execute

Execute means to kill someone as a legal punishment.

Opposites

Word family

kill verb

Base form meaning to cause death.

killer noun

A person or thing that kills.

killing noun

The act of causing death.

killjoy noun

A person who spoils others' fun.

Commonly confused: killed or killed?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “killed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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