kill synonyms and antonyms | FreeDict Thesaurus

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

murder bag dead destroy do dust end ex finish off ruin take waste wet

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

slay execute bury crush dash eliminate eradicate grease scotch smash squash stiff terminate torpedo wax wreck

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

put to death take the life of do away with baptize bereave of life blight bring down cack compromised to a permanent end croak demolish dispose of do in exterminate finish off flatten lay waste to make away with merc mortify neutralize obliterate pay off pick off polish off pop off punch someone's ticket put an end to put down put someone out of their misery put six feet under put to sleep ravage scupper scuttle send to eternity send to hell send to the grave send to the great beyond send to the next life shut up slime out smite snuff stop someone's clock terminate with extreme prejudice top off take care of take down take out wipe out

Antonyms

save rescue resurrect revive raise reanimate reawaken requicken revivify raise from the dead vitalise vivificate vivify give birth germinate birth spawn whelp

How to use kill

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

kill time kill the engine kill the lights

Etymology

From Middle English "killen," of uncertain deeper origin, possibly related to Old English "cwellan" (to kill, the source of "quell") or an Old Norse word meaning "to strike."

Full origin of kill →

Frequently asked questions

What does “kill” mean?

The word “kill” means to cause the death of a person, animal, or living thing. In plain terms, to end a life, or more loosely, to stop or switch something off; also used hyperbolically for severe pain or difficulty.

How do you pronounce “kill”?

“Kill” is pronounced KIHL (/ˈkɪl/ in IPA).

How do you use “kill” in a sentence?

Here is “kill” used in a sentence: “The frost killed most of the young plants overnight.”

What is another word for “kill”?

Words with a similar meaning to “kill” include bag, baptize, bereave of life, blight, bring down and bury.

What is the opposite of “kill”?

The opposite of “kill” — its antonyms — are save, rescue, resurrect, revive and raise.

What part of speech is “kill”?

Depending on how it is used, “kill” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “kill” come from?

The word “kill” comes from Old English. From Middle English "killen," of uncertain deeper origin, possibly related to Old English "cwellan" (to kill, the source of "quell") or an Old Norse word meaning "to strike.".

Is “kill” a common word?

“Kill” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

What is the difference between kill and murder?

Kill is the broad term for causing any death, whether by accident, in war, in self-defense or in nature. Murder is far narrower: the deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another. Every murder is a kill, but most killing is not murder in the legal sense of the word.

Does kill always mean causing death?

Not always. Beyond its literal meaning, kill is used figuratively in everyday speech: to kill time, kill an engine, kill the lights, or kill a plan. In these senses it means to stop, switch off or use up something, rather than to actually end a life.

What is the opposite of kill?

There is no single exact opposite, but words like revive, save, spare and resuscitate stand against it, describing the act of preserving or restoring life. To give life or bring something back is the natural counterpoint to taking it away. Context decides which opposite fits best in a given sentence.

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