Synonyms

assassinate

American

[uh-sas-uh-neyt] / əˈsæs əˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

assassinated, assassinating

to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.

Synonyms:

slay
to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously.

to assassinate a person's character.

assassinate British

/ əˈsæsɪˌneɪt /

verb

to murder (a person, esp a public or political figure), usually by a surprise attack
to ruin or harm (a person's reputation, etc) by slander

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

assassination noun
assassinative adjective
assassinator noun
unassassinated adjective

Etymology

Origin of assassinate

First recorded in 1590–1600; assassin + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leader in Martin Luther King, Jr 's Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was with King when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

From BBC

He was with his mentor at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when King was assassinated.

From BBC

Colombia has a long list of leftist leaders, including presidential candidates, assassinated over the years.

From Barron's

And when Kirk was assassinated in September, Newsom lavished praise on him.

From Salon

“Here’s the next question: How many US presidents have been assassinated?”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023