assassinate

[uh-sas-uh-neyt]

verb (used with object)

assassinated, assassinating 

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

   Synonyms: slay

2. to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously.

   to assassinate a person's character.

assassinate

/ əˈsæsɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. to murder (a person, esp a public or political figure), usually by a surprise attack

2. to ruin or harm (a person's reputation, etc) by slander

Other Word Forms

• assassination noun
• assassinative adjective
• assassinator noun
• unassassinated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of assassinate¹

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

Example Sentences

Islamic State has assassinated several of them this year.

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Later, the U.S. government didn’t stop a military coup in Brazil, helped dissidents assassinate the leader of the Dominican Republic and covertly supported the insurgent contras in Nicaragua, leading to the Iran-Contra scandal.

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In dozens of air strikes, Israel assassinated terrorist commanders who had emerged post-cease-fire and struck a tunnel that was used to kill 10 soldiers but was spared while Hamas held hostages there.

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“These criminal networks have issued explicit instructions to U.S.-based sympathetics, including street gangs in Chicago, to monitor, harass, and assassinate federal agents,” DHS asserted.

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A few days after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, a video was posted on social media of a Texas State University student mockingly re-enacting the conservative activist’s death.

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Related Words

• execute 
• gun down www.thesaurus.com
• kill 
• slaughter 
• slay