kill
gb/kˈɪl/ us/kˈɪl/
A2
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Cause the death of someone or something
To make a person, animal, or other living thing die.
Usage pattern:
to kill [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'kill' with 'die'. 'Kill' is an action done to something or someone; 'die' happens to the subject itself.
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.)
Collocations
kill time
|kill instantly
|kill animals
|kill in cold blood
|kill for food
Themes
crime
|violence
|daily life
|health
|animals
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The hunter killed the deer with one shot.
- The disease has killed thousands of people this year.
- 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.
- The cold weather killed the flowers.
- The man killed the snake with a stick.
- The fire killed many trees in the forest.
Verb
informal
B1
action
2
Turn off or stop something
To turn off or stop a machine or process.
Usage pattern:
to kill [engine/program/process]
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.)
Collocations
kill the engine
|kill the lights
|kill the power
Themes
technology
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He killed the engine and stepped out of the car.
- Please kill the lights before you leave.
- The technician killed the power to fix the wiring.
Learner examples
- Kill the engine before you get out.
- Please kill the lights now.
- The pilot killed the power to the motor.
Verb
informal
B1
action
3
Pass time idly
To do something to make time pass while waiting.
Usage pattern:
to kill [time/hours/minutes]
Synonyms
pass time (Neutral equivalent.)
|
waste time (Often carries a negative judgment.)
Antonyms
use time wisely (To spend time productively.)
Collocations
kill some time
|kill an hour
Themes
daily life
|time
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We played cards to kill time before our flight.
- I walked around the mall to kill an hour before my meeting.
- They watched TV to kill some time until dinner.
Learner examples
- We read books to kill time.
- She took a walk to kill an hour.
- I played a game to kill some time.
Verb
informal
B2
action
4
Greatly amuse or impress someone
To make people laugh a lot or like you very much because of what you do.
Usage pattern:
to kill [audience/crowd]
Synonyms
slay (Slangy synonym often used in entertainment contexts.)
Collocations
kill it on stage
|kill with jokes
Themes
entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|emotions
|communication
Examples
- Her stand-up routine killed the audience.
- You really killed it in that presentation!
- He always kills with his sharp wit.
Learner examples
- She killed it in the show.
- You killed with your funny story.
- He killed with his song.
Noun
B2
event
5
An act of killing something or someone
When someone or something is killed.
Synonyms
slaying (More formal and literary; often used for people.)
Collocations
make a kill
|recorded kills
Themes
crime
|violence
|animals
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The lion made its first kill of the day.
- The sniper had three confirmed kills.
- It was a clean kill, quick and humane.
Learner examples
- The cat made a kill in the garden.
- The soldier had many kills in battle.
- The hunter was proud of his kill.
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.