- present participle of kill.
killing
Americannoun
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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.
But strangely enough, it was Madonna who insisted on killing the vibe in the weeks leading up to the album’s July 3 release.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
Lopez’s killing is not the first consequential criminal investigation that ICE’s immigration enforcement blitz has disrupted in Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Prosecutors seeking the death penalty in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk began laying out their evidence Monday as they push for a murder trial.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
Her killing came 21 years after the Good Friday peace agreement was signed in Northern Ireland.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
“No, I just gave the kids something to do to keep them from killing each other.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
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.
