Phrase guide

kill file

noun · verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • kĭl′ fīl′
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland: /ˈkɪl ˌfaɪ̯l/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: /ˈkɪl ˌfʌɪ̯l/
  • Scotland: /ˈkɪl ˌfʌi̯l/
  • Scotland: /ˈkɪl ˌfəi̯l/
  • Australian: /ˈkɪl ˌfɑe̯l/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈkəl ˌfaɪ̯l/
  • India: /ˈkɪl ˌfajl/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A user's file listing the users of a newsgroup whose postings are to be ignored, or other criteria for ignoring posts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bozo filter, bozo bin, ignorelist, twitlist

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To add (a user) to a kill file (noun sense 1).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: killfile — file used in Usenet groups to hide people or subjects
  • Dutch: ploink — file used in Usenet groups to hide people or subjects
  • German: Killfile — file used in Usenet groups to hide people or subjects
  • Polish: killfile — file used in Usenet groups to hide people or subjects
  • Polish: mordplik — file used in Usenet groups to hide people or subjects
  • Polish: scorefile — file used in Usenet groups to hide people or subjects
  • Polish: wstawiać do killfile'a — to add to kill file
  • Polish: wstawić do killfile'a — to add to kill file