kill
gb/kˈɪl/ us/kˈɪl/
A2
English
~ 700
megöl, elpusztít, halálát okozza, leállít, kikapcsol, lekapcsol, elüti az időt, nagyot alakít, halálra nevettet, lehengerel, ölés, elejtés, halálos találat
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to kill [someone/something]
The hunter killed the deer with one shot.
A vadász egyetlen lövéssel megölte a szarvast.
The disease has killed thousands of people this year.
A betegség idén több ezer ember halálát okozta.
She accidentally killed the plant by overwatering it.
The soldier was ordered to kill the enemy combatants.
Learner examples
He killed a spider in the kitchen.
Megölt egy pókot a konyhában.
The cold weather killed the flowers.
A hideg idő elpusztította a virágokat.
The man killed the snake with a stick.
The fire killed many trees in the forest.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'kill' with 'die'. 'Kill' is an action done to something or someone; 'die' happens to the subject itself.
Meaning
Cause the death of someone or something
Collocations
kill time
|kill instantly
|kill animals
|kill in cold blood
|kill for food
Synonyms
slay (More literary or dramatic; often used in historical or fantasy contexts.)
|
murder (Refers specifically to the unlawful killing of a person.)
Antonyms
save (To prevent someone from dying.)
|
rescue (To bring someone out of danger and prevent death.)
Themes
crime
|violence
|daily life
|health
|animals
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a person, animal, or other living thing die.
To cause the death of a person, animal, or other living thing.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
to kill [engine/program/process]
He killed the engine and stepped out of the car.
Leállította a motort, és kiszállt az autóból.
Please kill the lights before you leave.
Kérlek, kapcsold le a villanyt, mielőtt elmész.
The technician killed the power to fix the wiring.
Learner examples
Kill the engine before you get out.
Állítsd le a motort, mielőtt kiszállsz.
Please kill the lights now.
Kérlek, most kapcsold le a villanyt.
The pilot killed the power to the motor.
Meaning
Turn off or stop something
Collocations
kill the engine
|kill the lights
|kill the power
Synonyms
shut off (More neutral; often interchangeable.)
|
turn off (Common everyday equivalent.)
Antonyms
start (To begin operating a machine or process.)
|
switch on (To turn on an electrical device.)
Themes
technology
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To turn off or stop a machine or process.
To stop the operation of a machine, engine, program, or similar device.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to kill [time/hours/minutes]
We played cards to kill time before our flight.
Kártyáztunk, hogy elüssük az időt a repülőnk indulása előtt.
I walked around the mall to kill an hour before my meeting.
Sétálgattam a bevásárlóközpontban, hogy elüssek egy órát a megbeszélésem előtt.
They watched TV to kill some time until dinner.
Learner examples
We read books to kill time.
Könyveket olvastunk, hogy elüssük az időt.
She took a walk to kill an hour.
Sétált egyet, hogy elüssön egy órát.
I played a game to kill some time.
Meaning
Pass time idly
Collocations
kill some time
|kill an hour
Synonyms
pass time (Neutral equivalent.)
|
waste time (Often carries a negative judgment.)
Antonyms
use time wisely (To spend time productively.)
Themes
daily life
|time
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To do something to make time pass while waiting.
To spend time doing something while waiting for another event, often with no specific purpose.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
to kill [audience/crowd]
Her stand-up routine killed the audience.
A stand-up műsorszáma halálra nevettette a közönséget.
You really killed it in that presentation!
Tényleg nagyot alakítottál azon a prezentáción!
He always kills with his sharp wit.
Learner examples
She killed it in the show.
Nagyot alakított a műsorban.
You killed with your funny story.
Halálra nevettettél minket a vicces történeteddel.
He killed with his song.
Meaning
Greatly amuse or impress someone
Collocations
kill it on stage
|kill with jokes
Synonyms
slay (Slangy synonym often used in entertainment contexts.)
Themes
entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|emotions
|communication
Definition
To make people laugh a lot or like you very much because of what you do.
To cause great amusement, admiration, or approval, often in performance contexts.
NOUN
B2
5
The lion made its first kill of the day.
Az oroszlán aznap elejtette az első zsákmányát.
The sniper had three confirmed kills.
A mesterlövésznek három igazolt halálos találata volt.
It was a clean kill, quick and humane.
Learner examples
The cat made a kill in the garden.
A macska zsákmányt ejtett a kertben.
The soldier had many kills in battle.
A katona sok ellenséget ölt meg a csatában.
The hunter was proud of his kill.
Meaning
An act of killing something or someone
Collocations
make a kill
|recorded kills
Synonyms
slaying (More formal and literary; often used for people.)
Themes
crime
|violence
|animals
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
When someone or something is killed.
An instance of causing death to a person, animal, or other living thing, often deliberately or as part of hunting, sport, or warfare.
Grammar
Dictionary form
kill
IPA
GB/kˈɪl/
US/kˈɪl/
Syllables & stress
kill (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (kill)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: kill
- Plural: kills
Verb
- Base: kill
- 3rd Person Singular: kills
- Present Participle: killing
- Past: killed
Word family
Forms
kills
noun
killing
verb
killed
verb
Core family
killer
noun B1
Advanced or less common
overkill
noun
killjoy
noun
Expressions
kill it
1/kˈɪl ˈɪt/
idiom
informal
Perform very well at something
Do something very well and make people like it a lot.
Examples
- You really killed it in that dance competition!
- He always kills it when he plays guitar on stage.
make a killing
1/mˈeɪk ə kˈɪlɪŋ/
idiom
informal
Earn a lot of money quickly/easily
Get a lot of money in a short time, often easily.
Examples
- They made a killing on the stock market last year.
- She made a killing selling handmade jewelry online.
kill time
1/kˈɪl tˈaɪm/
idiom
informal
Do something to pass time while waiting
Do something so that time passes while you wait for something else.
Examples
- We went for coffee to kill time before the concert.
- She read a magazine to kill time at the airport.
kill time
2/kˈɪl tˈaɪm/
idiom
informal
Do things while waiting
To do something not important while you wait for another event.
Examples
- We played cards to kill time before dinner.
- He read a magazine to kill some time at the airport.
kill two birds with one stone
1/kˈɪl tˈu bˈɚdz wˈɪθ wˈʌn stˈoʊn/
idiom
Achieve two things at once
Do one thing that solves two problems or gives two results at the same time.
Examples
- By cycling to work, he kills two birds with one stone: exercise and saving money.
- By visiting my parents and attending the conference, I killed two birds with one stone.
- She killed two birds with one stone by visiting her friend and delivering the package at the same time.
- Cleaning the garage helped me exercise and tidy up—two birds with one stone.
kill two birds with one stone
2/kˈɪl tˈu bˈɚdz wˈɪθ wˈʌn stˈoʊn/
idiom
Achieve two goals at once
To do two things successfully with one action or effort.
Examples
- By visiting my parents on the way to the conference, I killed two birds with one stone.
- She killed two birds with one stone by shopping while waiting for her car to be repaired.