roadkill

British  

/ ˈrəʊdˌkɪl /

noun

1. the remains of an animal or animals killed on the road by motor vehicles

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Explanation

Roadkill means the dead body of an animal that's been hit by a car. Some people are so sensitive they can't stand to look at roadkill. Animals that die on a highway, usually because they've been struck by a vehicle, are roadkill. You can also spell it as two words, road kill. The word is fairly modern, from the early 1970's, in part because before cars were invented — and before there were so many of them on the roads — there weren't so many animals affected by the transportation of humans. Use the term figuratively when someone feels unwanted: "I felt like roadkill when you didn't invite me."

Example Sentences

When they aren’t thieving, bald eagles also scavenge from roadkill or help themselves to free food found in human garbage or at the town landfill.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

This is a man who, even aside from the worm in his brain and his propensity for collecting roadkill, is one of the biggest conspiracy theorists in the country.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2024

"And you can do that in New York state: Get a bear tag for a roadkill bear."

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2024

I saw a couple of crows dining on roadkill the other day as I was driving by and wondered, Does this count as bird-watching?

From New York Times • May 26, 2024

Maybe, because I once ate roadkill is definitely a lie.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko