Standard Lemma guide

killer

adj · noun · 16 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɪlə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈkhɪlə]
  • General-American: /ˈkɪlɚ/
  • General-American: [ˈkhɪlɚ] ~ [ˈkhɪlɹ̩]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪlə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: K IH1 L ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Excellent, very good, cool.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Examples

  • killer feature
  • killer view

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ace, admirable, amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, badass, bang on, bang-up, studly, based, beatific, beneship, bitching, blissful, bomb, brilliant, bully, celestial, cher, choice, chronic, chur, cock on, commendable, cool, copacetic, crackerjack, cushty, dank, def, delightful, divine, dope, epic, excellent, exceptional, exemplary, exquisite, extraordinary, fab, fabulous, fantabulosa, fantastic, fierce, finger-lickin' good, fire, fireball, first-rate, fly, frabjous, glorious, gnarly, goated, great, grouse, heavenlike, heavenly, immaculate, impeccable, incredible, kick-ass, kicking, killer, lash, lautitious, lit, magnificent, marvelous, nang, outstanding, out of sight, phat, peak, peng, phenomenal, pog, poggers, priceless, pukka, quality, rad, radical, remarkable, rum, sensational, sick, slap-up, slick, spectacular, spiffing, splendid, spot on, stellar, sterling, stunning, super, superb, superior, sweet, swell, terrific, tight, top, top-drawer, top-hole, top-notch, top-of-the-range, top-shelf, topping, tubular, tuff, well-done, wicked, wicked pissah, wonderful, worldie

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Causing death, destruction, or obliteration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • killer bee
  • killer robot

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Distressing, uncomfortable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I had a killer headache this morning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

One who or that which kills.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • There’s a killer on the loose.
  • My cat is a habitual bird killer.
  • Carbon monoxide is a silent killer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

That which causes stress or is extremely difficult, especially that which may cause failure at a task.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

Examples

  • That test was a killer.
  • The final hill in the race course was a killer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Something that is so far ahead of its competition that it effectively kills off that competition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

Examples

  • Digital streaming platforms are CD killers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The killer whale.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: archaic or by ellipsis

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A remarkably impressive person or thing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A knockout form of darts or pool involving several players.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A club used for killing fish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A particularly heavy type of handstamp, or portion of one, often obscuring a large part of the postage stamp.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, philately

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

Synonym of virama (“kind of diacritical mark”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: virama

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: killer whale, orca, grampus, sea wolf, Orcinus orca

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dolphin

14

noun

Meaning 14

a difficulty that is hard to deal with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • that exam was a real killer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: difficulty

15

noun

Meaning 15

someone who causes the death of a person or animal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slayer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul

Narrower terms: executioner, public executioner, exterminator, terminator, eradicator, garroter, garrotter, strangler, throttler, choker, murderer, liquidator, manslayer, poisoner, regicide, suicide, felo-de-se

16

noun

Meaning 16

the causal agent resulting in death

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cause of death

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: causal agent, cause, causal agency

History

Etymology

From Middle English killer, kyller. By surface analysis, kill + -er.

Across languages

Translations

185 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: mortífero — Causing death, destruction, or obliteration.
  • Albanian: vrasës — murderer, person who kills
  • Albanian: vrasëse — murderer, person who kills
  • Southern Altai: ӧлтӱречи (öltüreči) — murderer, person who kills
  • Amharic: ገዳይ (gäday) — murderer, person who kills
  • Arabic: قَاتِل (qātil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Arabic: قَاتِلَة (qātila) — murderer, person who kills
  • Algerian Arabic: قاتل (qatel) — murderer, person who kills
  • Arabic: قاتل (gātil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Armenian: մարդասպան (mardaspan) — murderer, person who kills
  • Azerbaijani: qatil — murderer, person who kills
  • Basque: hiltzaile — murderer, person who kills
  • Belarusian: забо́йца (zabójca) — murderer, person who kills
  • Bengali: খুনী (khuni) — murderer, person who kills
  • Bengali: কাতেল (katel) — murderer, person who kills
  • Breton: lazher — murderer, person who kills
  • Bulgarian: уби́ец (ubíec) — murderer, person who kills
  • Bulgarian: уби́йца (ubíjca) — murderer, person who kills
  • Catalan: assassí — murderer, person who kills
  • Catalan: matador — murderer, person who kills
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏓᎯᎯ (adahihi) — murderer, person who kills
  • Chichewa: mpha — murderer, person who kills
  • Chichewa: wakupha — murderer, person who kills
  • Chinese Cantonese: 殺手 /杀手 (saat3 sau2) — murderer, person who kills
  • Chinese: 殺手 /杀手 (zh-min-nan) — murderer, person who kills
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殺手 /杀手 (shāshǒu) — murderer, person who kills
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兇手 /凶手 (xiōngshǒu) — murderer, person who kills
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殺人犯 /杀人犯 (shārénfàn) — murderer, person who kills
  • Wu Chinese: 殺手 /杀手 (7saq-seu) — murderer, person who kills
  • Choctaw: abi — murderer, person who kills
  • Czech: vrah — murderer, person who kills
  • Czech: vražedkyně — murderer, person who kills
  • Danish: morder — murderer, person who kills
  • Danish: drabsmand — murderer, person who kills
  • Danish: banemand — murderer, person who kills
  • Dutch: doder — murderer, person who kills
  • Esperanto: murdisto — murderer, person who kills
  • Esperanto: murdistino — murderer, person who kills
  • Esperanto: murdinto — murderer, person who kills
  • Esperanto: murdintino — murderer, person who kills
  • Esperanto: mortigisto — murderer, person who kills
  • Esperanto: mortigistino — murderer, person who kills
  • Estonian: tapja — murderer, person who kills
  • Finnish: tappaja — murderer, person who kills
  • French: tueur — murderer, person who kills
  • French: tueuse — murderer, person who kills
  • French: assassin — murderer, person who kills
  • French: assassine — murderer, person who kills
  • French: meurtrier — murderer, person who kills
  • French: meurtrière — murderer, person who kills
  • Georgian: მკვლელი (mḳvleli) — murderer, person who kills
  • German: Töter — murderer, person who kills
  • German: Töterin — murderer, person who kills
  • German: Totschläger — murderer, person who kills
  • German: Totschlägerin — murderer, person who kills
  • Greek: φονιάς (foniás) — murderer, person who kills
  • Greek: φόνισσα (fónissa) — murderer, person who kills
  • Greek: δολοφόνος (dolofónos) — murderer, person who kills
  • Greek: δολοφόνισσα (dolofónissa) — murderer, person who kills
  • Hebrew: רוֹצֵחַ \ רוצח (rotséakh) — murderer, person who kills
  • Hindi: हत्यारा (hatyārā) — murderer, person who kills
  • Hindi: ख़ूनी (xūnī) — murderer, person who kills
  • Hindi: क़ातिल (qātil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Hungarian: gyilkos — murderer, person who kills
  • Icelandic: morðingi — murderer, person who kills
  • Indonesian: pembunuh — murderer, person who kills
  • Ingrian: mukistaja — murderer, person who kills
  • Ingrian: tappaja — murderer, person who kills
  • Irish: marfóir — murderer, person who kills
  • Italian: assassino — murderer, person who kills
  • Italian: assassina — murderer, person who kills
  • Italian: uccisore — murderer, person who kills
  • Italian: uccisora — murderer, person who kills
  • Italian: ucciditrice — murderer, person who kills
  • Japanese: 殺人者 (satsujinsha) — murderer, person who kills
  • Japanese: キラー (kirā) — murderer, person who kills
  • Japanese: 人殺し (hitogoroshi) — murderer, person who kills
  • Kabwa: omwiti class 1 — murderer, person who kills
  • Kazakh: қанішер (qanışer) — murderer, person who kills
  • Kazakh: қаныпезер (qanypezer) — murderer, person who kills
  • Kazakh: өлтіруші (öltıruşı) — murderer, person who kills
  • Khmer: ឃាតករ (khiət kɑɑ) — murderer, person who kills
  • Khmer: អ្នកសម្លាប់ (nĕək sɑmlap) — murderer, person who kills
  • Korean: 살인자 (sarinja) — murderer, person who kills
  • Central Kurdish: کوژەر (kujer) — murderer, person who kills
  • Central Kurdish: بکوژ (bikuj) — murderer, person who kills
  • Northern Kurdish: kujer — murderer, person who kills
  • Northern Kurdish: bikuj — murderer, person who kills
  • Northern Kurdish: qatil — murderer, person who kills
  • Kyrgyz: өлтүргүч (öltürgüc) — murderer, person who kills
  • Kyrgyz: өлтүрүүчү (öltürüücü) — murderer, person who kills
  • Latgalian: slapkauņs — murderer, person who kills
  • Latin: homicīda — murderer, person who kills
  • Latin: occīsor — murderer, person who kills
  • Latin: interfector — murderer, person who kills
  • Latin: necātor — murderer, person who kills
  • Latvian: slepkava — murderer, person who kills
  • Lithuanian: žmogžudys — murderer, person who kills
  • Lithuanian: žmogžudė — murderer, person who kills
  • Lithuanian: žudikas — murderer, person who kills
  • Macedonian: убиец (ubiec) — murderer, person who kills
  • Malay: pembunuh — murderer, person who kills
  • Maltese: qattiel — murderer, person who kills
  • Mongolian: алуурчин (aluurčin) — murderer, person who kills
  • Mongolian: ᠠᠯᠠᠭᠤᠷᠴᠢᠨ (alaɣurčin) — murderer, person who kills
  • Norman: tueux — murderer, person who kills
  • Norwegian Bokmål: morder — murderer, person who kills
  • Norwegian Bokmål: drapsmann — murderer, person who kills
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: drapsmann — murderer, person who kills
  • Church Slavic: оубиица (ubiica) — murderer, person who kills
  • Pannonian Rusyn: забивач (zabivač) — murderer, person who kills
  • Pannonian Rusyn: убийца (ubijca) — murderer, person who kills
  • Pashto: قاتل (qātél) — murderer, person who kills
  • Pashto: خوني (xuní) — murderer, person who kills
  • Dari: قَاتِل (qātil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Dari: کُشَنْدَه (kušanda) — murderer, person who kills
  • Dari: کُشِنْدَه (kušinda) — murderer, person who kills
  • Dari: آدَمْکُش (ādamkuš) — murderer, person who kills
  • Iranian Persian: قاتِل (ġâtel) — murderer, person who kills
  • Iranian Persian: کُشَنْدِه (košande) — murderer, person who kills
  • Iranian Persian: کُشِنْدِه (košende) — murderer, person who kills
  • Iranian Persian: آدَمْکُش (âdamkoš) — murderer, person who kills
  • Polish: zabójca — murderer, person who kills
  • Polish: zabójczyni — murderer, person who kills
  • Polish: morderca — murderer, person who kills
  • Polish: morderczyni — murderer, person who kills
  • Portuguese: assassino — murderer, person who kills
  • Portuguese: assassina — murderer, person who kills
  • Portuguese: homicida — murderer, person who kills
  • Romanian: ucigaș — murderer, person who kills
  • Romanian: ucigașă — murderer, person who kills
  • Romanian: asasin — murderer, person who kills
  • Romanian: asasină — murderer, person who kills
  • Russian: уби́йца (ubíjca) — murderer, person who kills
  • Russian: ки́ллер (kíller) — murderer, person who kills
  • Sanskrit: घातक (ghātaka) — murderer, person who kills
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̀бица — murderer, person who kills
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̀бојица — murderer, person who kills
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùbica — murderer, person who kills
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùbojica — murderer, person who kills
  • Slovak: vrah — murderer, person who kills
  • Slovak: vrahyňa — murderer, person who kills
  • Slovene: morilec — murderer, person who kills
  • Slovene: morilka — murderer, person who kills
  • Spanish: asesino — murderer, person who kills
  • Spanish: asesina — murderer, person who kills
  • Spanish: matador — murderer, person who kills
  • Spanish: victimario — murderer, person who kills
  • Sranan Tongo: kiriman — murderer, person who kills
  • Swahili: mwuaji — murderer, person who kills
  • Swedish: mördare — murderer, person who kills
  • Swedish: baneman — murderer, person who kills
  • Tajik: қотил (qotil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Tajik: кушанда (kušanda) — murderer, person who kills
  • Tajik: одамкуш (odamkuš) — murderer, person who kills
  • Thai: ฆาตกร (kâat-dtà-gɔɔn) — murderer, person who kills
  • Tigrinya: ቀታላይ (ḳätalay) — murderer, person who kills
  • Tocharian B: kauṣenta — murderer, person who kills
  • Turkish: katil — murderer, person who kills
  • Turkmen: ganhor — murderer, person who kills
  • Ukrainian: уби́вця (ubývcja) — murderer, person who kills
  • Ukrainian: вби́вця (vbývcja) — murderer, person who kills
  • Urdu: قاتِل (qātil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Urdu: کُشِنْدَہ (kuśinda) — murderer, person who kills
  • Urdu: خُونی (xūnī) — murderer, person who kills
  • Uyghur: قاتىل (qatil) — murderer, person who kills
  • Uzbek: qotil — murderer, person who kills
  • Vietnamese: kẻ giết người — murderer, person who kills
  • Vietnamese: người giết — murderer, person who kills
  • Woiwurrung: ngaut-ngaut — murderer, person who kills
  • Yiddish: מערדער (merder) — murderer, person who kills
  • Zazaki: kiştoğ — murderer, person who kills
  • Zazaki: kiştoğe — murderer, person who kills
  • French: mortel — something that causes death
  • French: fatal — something that causes death
  • Georgian: მკვლელი (mḳvleli) — something that causes death
  • Greek: θανατηφόρος (thanatifóros) — something that causes death
  • Bengali: হসন্ত (hośonto) — a diacritic mark
  • Burmese: အသတ် (a.sat) — a diacritic mark
  • Hindi: विराम (virām) — a diacritic mark
  • Khmer: ទណ្ឌឃាដ (tŏəndĕəʼkhiət) — a diacritic mark
  • Malayalam: ചന്ദ്രക്കല (candrakkala) — a diacritic mark
  • Odia: ହଳନ୍ତ (haḷanta) — a diacritic mark
  • Tamil: புள்ளி (puḷḷi) — a diacritic mark
  • Thai: การันต์ (gaa-ran) — a diacritic mark
Real reading context

killer in complete knowledge articles