murder

plural murders · alternative obsolete murther

1. countableAn act of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.

   There have been ten unsolved murders this year alone.

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   Throwing that punch was a murder whether you meant for it to happen or not.

   The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.

   1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings

   One of the most urgent tasks facing me after I assumed office was to assure the country that everything possible was being done to uncover the truth surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy. John Kennedy had been murdered, and a troubled, puzzled, and outraged nation wanted to know the facts.

   1971, Lyndon Johnson, “"I feel like I have already been here a year"”, in The Vantage Point, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 25

   Life is cheap, never forget it. Corporations make marketing decisions by weighing the cost of being sued for your death against the cost of making the product safer. Your life is a factor in cost-effectiveness. So when you talk about murder, don't confine your discussion to individuals.

   1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 177

   A murder? Well, thank goodness for that!

   1999 January 20, Anthony Horowitz et al., “Death's Shadow”, in Midsomer Murders

   1. uncountablelawThe crime of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.

      The defendant was charged with murder.

      1 more example

      Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.[…]One thing that is true, though, is that murder rates have fallen over the centuries, as policing has spread and the routine carrying of weapons has diminished. Modern society may not have done anything about war. But peace is a lot more peaceful.

      2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845

   2. abbreviationuncountablelawShort for felony murder, the act of committing or abetting a crime that results in the killing of a person, regardless of intent, even if the perpetrator did not directly kill the victim.

      Both the arsonist and her partner were charged with murder, even though they had intended for it to be a victimless crime.

   3. uncountableThe act of killing any being in an immoral manner; (countable) an instance of this.

      Meat is murder.

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      It may be guessed, indeed, that this was the original form of the story, the fairy being the addition of those who considered Jack's thefts from (and murder of) the giant to be scarcely justified without her.

      1984, Humphrey Carpenter, Mari Prichard, The Oxford companion to children's literature, page 275

      Dr. Herrera also knew Hemingway had held Batista's army personally responsible for the brutal murders of his dogs, Blackie (Black Dog) and Machakos.

      2011, Carlene Brennen, Hemingway's Cats, →ISBN, page 161

   4. broadlycountablenonstandarduncountableSynonym of murderer , a person who has unlawfully killed another.

      Synonyms: murderer

2. figurativelyuncountableSomething difficult or terrible to endure.

   This headache is murder.

   1 more example

   I heard this class is murder.

3. countabledatedfigurativelyslanguncountableSomething remarkable or impressive.

   Right quick another cat spoke up real loud, saying, “That’s murder man, really murder,” and his eyes were signifying too.

   1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Tell a Green Man Something”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 3 (1928–1935: The Big Apple), page 230

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   Altaira Morbius: [swimming in a pool] Come on in. Commander Adams: I didn't bring my bathing suit. Altaira Morbius: What's a bathing suit? Commander Adams: [quickly turning his back] Oh, murder!

   1956, Cyril Hume, Forbidden Planet

4. collectivecountableA flock of crows or sometimes ravens.

   A murder of crows dotted my backyard.

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   Every morning we woke up to the squawking of what seemed like a hundred murders in the trees above our campsite.

   A murder of ravens scythed through the air , black arrows on a western trajectory toward the Flathead River .

   2010, Cristina Eisenberg, The Wolf's Tooth, Island Press

   For his part, Melchior was growing unhappy with the murder of crows. They had been patiently following Arthur for hours, trailing him from town to country.

   1995, Deepak Chopra, The Return of Merlin: A Novel, →ISBN, page 108

   Without the murder of crows roosting in its branches, Nevermore Tree looked as bare as a skeleton.

   2001, Daniel Handler, The Vile Village, →ISBN, page 76

   The murder flew away on a sunny May day deeper into the forest and decided to settle on beautiful jackfruit trees

   2024, Rostam Pooladi-Darvish, Asha, Page Publishing, Incorporated, page 2

   Synonyms: conspiracy, unkindness, flock

present singular third person murders · participle present murdering · participle past murdered · past murdered · alternative obsolete murther

1. To illegally kill (a person or persons) with intent, especially with predetermination

   The woman found dead in her kitchen was murdered by her husband.

   1 more example

   In the meane time it chaunced, that Marcus Papyrius ſtroke one of the Galles on the heade with his ſtaffe, because he preſumed to ſtroke his bearde: with whiche iniurie the Gaulle beeing prouoked, ſlue Papyrius (as he ſate) with hys ſworde, and therewith the ſlaughter being begun with one, all the reſidue of thoſe auncient fatherly men as they ſat in theyr Chayres were ſlaine and cruelly murthered.

   1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “The Historie of Englande”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC, page 26, columns 1–2

2. colloquialexcessiveTo kill violently.

   My uncle’s dog murdered my cat.

3. colloquialexcessivefigurativelytransitivehobbiesTo defeat decisively.

   Our team is going to murder them.

   Synonyms: thrash, trounce, wipe the floor with

4. colloquialexcessivefigurativelyTo kick someone's ass or chew someone out (used to express one’s anger at somebody).

   He's torn my best shirt. When I see him, I'll murder him!

   Synonyms: kill

5. To botch or mangle.

   Dr. Caius, the Frenchman in the play, and Evans the Welshman, "Gallia et Guallia," succeed pretty well in their efforts to murder the language.

   1892, William Shepard Walsh, Handy-book of Literary Curiosities, page 293

6. UKcolloquialfigurativelyTo devour, ravish.

   I could murder a hamburger right now.

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   “Is that so? Well, I could murder a cup of tea,” said Auntie Flip.

   2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN

plural Murders

1. A surname.