make a killing

verb

To win or earn a large amount of money.

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Meanings

verbmake a killing (third-person singular simple present makes a killing, present participle making a killing, simple past and past participle made a killing)

present singular third person makes a killing · participle present making a killing · participle past made a killing · past made a killing

  1. idiomaticinformalTo win or earn a large amount of money.

    "Now if they were playing faro I could make a killing."

    1913, Rex Ellingwood Beach, chapter 5, in The Iron Trail: An Alaskan Romance
    2 more examples

    And I said I still make a pretty good living / But you must make a killing / A killing

    1996, Ani DiFranco, “Napoleon”, in Dilate

    Danny Boyle's critical darling 'Slumdog Millionaire' has made a killing at the box office and is now being lavished with awards.

    2009 January 17, Tom Huddleston, “What's all the fuss about 'Slumdog Millionaire'?”, in Time

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
make bank

Origin

Originally US English.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 大賺一筆 /大赚一笔
  • 大賺一筆 /大赚一笔 (dà zhuàn yī bǐ)to win or earn a large amount of money
Finnish tienata hyvät rahat, lyödä rahoiksi
  • tienata hyvät rahatto win or earn a large amount of money
  • lyödä rahoiksito win or earn a large amount of money
French toucher le jackpot
  • toucher le jackpotto win or earn a large amount of money
German (großen) Reibach machen, sich eine goldene Nase verdienen
  • (großen) Reibach machento win or earn a large amount of money
  • sich eine goldene Nase verdienento win or earn a large amount of money
Italian sbancare, fare una fortuna
  • sbancareto win or earn a large amount of money
  • fare una fortunato win or earn a large amount of money
  • fare cassato win or earn a large amount of money
Polish zbijać kasę
  • zbijać kasęto win or earn a large amount of money
Romanian a da lovitura
  • a da loviturato win or earn a large amount of money
Russian грести́ де́ньги лопатой
  • грести́ де́ньги лопатой (grestí dénʹgi lopatoj)to win or earn a large amount of money
Spanish hacer su agosto, hacerse la América
  • hacer su agostoto win or earn a large amount of money
  • hacerse la Américato win or earn a large amount of money
  • ponerse las botasto win or earn a large amount of money
  • devengar un dineralto win or earn a large amount of money
  • forrarseto win or earn a large amount of money
Cite this entry
APA

make a killing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20killing

MLA

“make a killing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20killing. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make a killing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20killing.

Source: make a killing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.