Murder — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈmər-dər/ mur·der

Meaning & Definition of Murder

Murder (noun)

  1. the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing a person; specifically, law, such a crime committed under circumstances defined by statute
  2. something very difficult or dangerous
  3. something outrageous or blameworthy

Murder (verb)

  1. to kill (a person) unlawfully and unjustifiably with premeditated malice —sometimes used figuratively
  2. to slaughter mercilessly, slay
  3. to put an end to, destroy

Murder (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness

    "this weather is murder on my sinuses"

    similar: agony, Gehenna, hell, horror, misery, nightmare, torment, torture
    related: affliction, calvary, cross, curse, ordeal, trial, tribulation, calamity, misfortune, tragedy, gall, thorn, bummer, downer, drag
    opposite: heaven, paradise
    near: delight, diversion, entertainment, fun, joy, pleasure, recreation, lark, picnic, riot

  2. the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life

    "arrested for attempting to commit murder"

    similar: blood, foul play, homicide, rubout, slaying
    related: chance-medley, killing, manslaughter, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, decimation, destruction, massacre, slaughter, assassination, execution, hit, euthanasia, mercy killing, filicide, fratricide, matricide, parricide, patricide, regicide, uxoricide

Murder (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to put to death deliberately

    "those people made me so mad I felt like I wanted to murder them"

    similar: assassinate, bump off, croak (slang), dispatch, do in, execute, get, ice (slang), knock off, liquidate, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, slay, snuff, take out, terminate, whack (slang), do away with
    related: blow away, shoot, shoot down, blot out, carry off, claim, cut down, destroy, fell, kill, smite, zap, butcher, massacre, mow (down), slaughter, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, exterminate, wipe out
    near: animate, raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive

  2. to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way

    "we listened in horror as she murdered our favorite song on stage"

    similar: blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, botch, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, screw up
    related: blunder, gum (up), muddle, piffle, blemish, blight, damage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, mutilate, ruin, spoil, vitiate, destroy, wreck, mishandle, mismanage
    near: ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy, doctor, fix, patch, recondition, renovate, repair, revamp

Related Entry: Self-murder (noun)

Self-murder is a different word from Murder. The synonyms below are for self-murder, not for murder.

  1. the act of deliberately killing oneself

    "how to deter terrorists who are willing to commit self-murder as well as the mass murder of innocent people"

    similar: self-destruction, self-slaughter, suicide
    related: hara-kiri, martyrdom, blood, foul play, homicide, murder, rubout, slaying, chance-medley, dispatch, killing, manslaughter, assassination, execution, euthanasia, mercy killing

Related Entry: Bloody murder (adverb)

Bloody murder is a different word from Murder. The synonyms below are for bloody murder, not for murder.

  1. as in loudly, clamorously

    similar: blatantly, boisterously, clamorously, loudly, lustily, mightily, noisily, resonantly, resoundingly, stridently, thunderously, uproariously, vociferously, clearly, discernibly, distinctly, distinguishably, perceptibly, plainly, verbally, vocally, aloud, audibly, out, out loud
    opposite: inaudibly, silently, soundlessly, voicelessly, faintly, feebly, low, noiselessly, quietly, softly

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Murder

The most common words with a similar meaning to Murder:

Slang: croak, ice, off, whack
agony, Gehenna, hell, horror, misery, nightmare, torment, torture, blood, foul play, homicide, rubout, slaying, assassinate, bump off, dispatch, do in, execute, get, knock off, liquidate, neutralize, put away, rub out, slay, snuff, take out, terminate, blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, botch, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Murder

Words with the opposite meaning of Murder:

heaven, paradise

Related Words for Murder

affliction, calvary, cross, curse, ordeal, trial, tribulation, calamity, misfortune, tragedy, gall, thorn, bummer, downer, drag, chance-medley, killing, manslaughter, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, decimation, destruction, massacre, slaughter, assassination, execution, hit, euthanasia, mercy killing

Near Antonyms of Murder

delight, diversion, entertainment, fun, joy, pleasure, recreation, lark, picnic, riot, animate, raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy, doctor, fix, patch, recondition

Word Forms of Murder

Inflections: murders, murdered, murdering

Origin & Etymology of Murder

partly from Middle English murther, from Old English morthor; partly from Middle English murdre, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English morthor; akin to Old High German mord murder, Latin mort-, mors death, mori to die, mortuus dead, Greek brotos mortal

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Murder

murder hornet, murder weapon, bloody murder, self-murder, double murder, get away with murder, scream bloody murder

Frequently Asked Questions about Murder

What does "Murder" mean?

"Murder" means the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing a person; specifically, law, such a crime committed under circumstances defined by statute. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing a person; specifically, law, such a crime committed under circumstances defined by statute. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Murder"?

Other words for "Murder" include agony, Gehenna, hell, horror, misery, nightmare, torment and torture. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Murder" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Murder"?

There are 131 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Murder". Common alternatives include agony, Gehenna, hell, horror, misery, nightmare, torment, torture, blood and foul play.

What is a slang word for "Murder"?

Slang words for "Murder" include croak, ice, off and whack.

What is the opposite of "Murder"?

Antonyms of "Murder" include heaven and paradise. Near antonyms include delight, diversion, entertainment and fun.

How do you use "Murder" in a sentence?

Examples of "Murder" in a sentence: "this weather is murder on my sinuses"; "arrested for attempting to commit murder"; "those people made me so mad I felt like I wanted to murder them".

Is "Murder" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Murder" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Murder"?

"Murder" is pronounced /ˈmər-dər/ and divided into syllables as mur·der.