Etymology

if looks could kill

Today it means: Used to characterize a look of strong hostility. Full definition →

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The story

An anapodoton for an expression such as "If looks could kill, her look would have led to the death of the person she was looking at." A possible origin of the phrase comes from the legend of Medusa, who had the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.