killing

killing — noun

1. an event in which one person deliberately causes another person's death

1.nounB1
Definition

an event in which one person deliberately causes another person's death

Example

The police arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of a shopkeeper last night.

the killing of + person

Valentina's testimony described a brutal killing that shocked the entire neighbourhood.

possessive + killing

Common collocations
  • the killing of someone
  • brutal killing
  • political killing
  • gang-related killing
  • witness a killing
Synonyms
  • murder

    implies unlawful, premeditated intent; narrower and more legally charged than 'killing'

  • slaying

    more dramatic or literary tone, often used for violent or notable killings

  • homicide

    formal legal term covering both murder and manslaughter; neutral on intent

Grammar Patterns

the killing of + person

possessive + killing

Usage Note

Often used with a possessive noun or 'of'-phrase to specify the victim. 'Killing' can describe both a single event and the general act, though the latter is more common as the verb 'kill'.

Common Mistakes

The killing of the man was an accident.' (implying deliberate intent).
The death of the man was an accident.
'killing' implies a deliberate or intentional act by another person, not an accident or natural death.

2. a very large amount of money earned quickly, especially from a business deal, in

2.nounB2
Definition

a very large amount of money earned quickly, especially from a business deal, investment, or lucky opportunity

Example

Investors who bought shares early made a killing when the company went public.

make a killing — fixed phrase

Apinya's father made a killing in real estate during the housing boom.

make a killing in [market/sector]

Common collocations
  • make a killing
  • make a killing in real estate
  • make a killing on the stock market
Synonyms
  • windfall

    unexpected large sum of money, often by luck rather than skill

  • bonanza

    a sudden and very profitable situation, often in mining or business

  • jackpot

    a big prize or win, originally from gambling, now used for any large gain

Antonyms
  • loss

    money lost in a deal, the opposite of a profit

  • setback

    a financial disappointment or loss of expected gain

Grammar Patterns

make a killing

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'make a killing'. The noun cannot be pluralised (*killings*) or modified by adjectives in this sense.

Common Mistakes

He made a killing profit from the deal.
He made a killing from the deal.
'killing' already means a large profit; adding 'profit' is redundant.
They made killings in the stock market.
They made a killing in the stock market.
this sense is always singular.
Idioms

make a killing

idiom

To earn a large amount of money in a short time.

Maya made a killing by selling her handmade jewelry online.

Did Diego make a killing when he invested in that tech startup?

killing — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Murder' is the most specific legal term — it refers to the unlawful, intentional killing of one person by another, and carries strong moral and criminal weight. 'Homicide' is the broadest and most neutral term, covering any death caused by another person, whether lawful (self-defence) or unlawful (murder, manslaughter). 'Slaying' has a dramatic or literary feel and is often used for violent killings in battle, mythology, or notable crimes ('the slaying of the dragon'). 'Assassination' is narrowly reserved for the targeted killing of a public figure, usually for political reasons. For example: The court found him guilty of murder. The report classified the death as a justifiable homicide. The epic poem describes the slaying of a great warrior. The agency plotted the assassination of the foreign leader.

murder ↗homicideslayingassassination ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • brutally

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The noun 'killing' developed from the verb 'kill', which comes from Old English 'cyllan' (to strike, beat, kill), of Germanic origin. The -ing suffix turns the verb into a noun describing the event or result of the action. The 'large profit' sense emerged in 19th-century gambling slang, originally meaning to win all the money at a card table — as if 'killing' the game by taking everything. The adjective senses (exhausting, hilarious) appeared in informal American English in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, extending the verb's sense of 'overwhelming' into figurative uses.