- present participle of kill.
killing
Americannoun
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killings
plural
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the act of a person or thing that kills.
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the total game killed on a hunt.
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Informal. a quick and unusually large profit or financial gain.
We would all like to win the lottery or make a killing in the stock market.
adjective
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Tuberculosis was a killing disease well into the 20th century, and society found itself with few remedies.
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exhausting.
An ever-expanding workload is imperceptible at first, but eventually we're operating at a killing pace.
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Informal. irresistibly funny.
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Slang. very attractive or fascinating.
The actress is known for her outstanding beauty and killing smile.
adjective
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informal very tiring; exhausting
a killing pace
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informal extremely funny; hilarious
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causing death; fatal
noun
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the act of causing death; slaying
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informal a sudden stroke of success, usually financial, as in speculations on the stock market (esp in the phrase make a killing )
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of killing
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English killing(e), kyllyng(e) (gerund); see kill 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
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.
See Examples For:
Rather than focusing only on killing cancer cells directly, researchers could try to reprogram the surrounding tissue that supports and protects the tumor.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
In 2020 after the killing of George Floyd generated widespread campus calls for social justice, another movement to abolish Greek life sprung up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Despite a period of separation, they had re-established their relationship by the night of the killing.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia came fifth in 2023, killing 2.1 million people.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
“But it’s not only fishing that’s killing them,” said Opoku.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
He does not know if or when Walker was alerted to that possibility, or if that was the reason for the killings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Bass said the killings reflect, in part, a broader failure of the mental health system to get people the care they need.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
His supporters say he was targeted for blogging about alleged human rights abuses against the Sikh community in India and was coerced into signing a false confession to participation in the killings.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday said "no stone will be left unturned" to solve the killings, acknowledging "these incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women".
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
A spate of kangaroo killings in the late 1970s were attributed to a male Opaleye ousted from his homeland by a dominant female.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
