murdered

murdered — verb

1. to kill another person deliberately and illegally, which is a serious crime.

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to kill another person deliberately and illegally, which is a serious crime.

Example

A truck driver was arrested for murdering a pedestrian in a planned attack.

transitive: murder + direct object [person]

The documentary examines what drives an ordinary person to murder a stranger.

Common collocations
  • murder someone in cold blood
  • be found guilty of murdering
  • confess to murdering
  • plot to murder
  • brutally murder
Synonyms
  • kill

    much broader; covers accidents, self-defence, and animal death; not inherently criminal

  • assassinate

    murder of a well-known figure (politician, activist) for political reasons

  • slay

    formal or literary; often used in epic or fantasy contexts

Antonyms
  • save

    to rescue someone from death

  • protect

    to keep someone safe from harm

Grammar Patterns

murder + [person]

be murdered by [person]

murder [person] for [reason]

Usage Note

The direct object of 'murder' in this sense must be a person — never an animal. The verb always carries a legal meaning of unlawful intent, unlike the more general 'kill'.

Common Mistakes

He murdered a mosquito in the kitchen.
He killed a mosquito in the kitchen.
'murder' applies only to people, never to animals or insects.
The soldier murdered twenty enemy fighters in battle.
The soldier killed twenty enemy fighters in battle.
killing in war is not legally classified as murder.

2. to say in an exaggerated way that you are extremely angry at someone, without an

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to say in an exaggerated way that you are extremely angry at someone, without any real intention of harming them.

Example

If my brother borrows my car one more time without asking, I could murder him.

structure: 'could murder' for exaggerated anger

When Liam saw the scratch on his new laptop, he said he could murder someone.

Common collocations
  • could murder
  • could murder someone for
  • felt like murdering
Synonyms
  • kill

    used in the same hyperbolic pattern: 'I could kill him!' — identical in function, slightly more common

Grammar Patterns

could murder + [someone]

I could murder [someone] for [reason]

Usage Note

Almost always appears with the modal 'could' (or occasionally 'will') in the first conditional pattern. The speaker is exaggerating irritation, not expressing a real threat. Common in British and American informal speech.

Common Mistakes

I will murder you for breaking my phone.' (sounds like a genuine threat in police context)
I could murder the person who broke my phone.
'could' signals exaggeration; 'will' sounds literal and threatening.

3. to perform or create something so poorly that you completely spoil it — used abo

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to perform or create something so poorly that you completely spoil it — used about songs, plays, recipes, or other creative works.

Example

The band completely murdered that classic song at the concert last night.

informal: 'murder' + song for a terrible performance

Zayd tried to cook a traditional dish but ended up murdering the recipe.

Common collocations
  • murder a song
  • murder a line
  • murder a recipe
  • completely murder
  • absolutely murder
Synonyms
  • ruin

    neutral register; does not carry the dramatic impact of 'murder'

  • botch

    implies clumsy execution; less emotional than 'murder'

  • butcher

    equally strong and figurative; 'the singer butchered the song'

Antonyms
  • master

    to perform something skilfully and perfectly

Grammar Patterns

murder + [song/play/recipe/performance]

murder + [creative work]

Usage Note

The object is usually a creative work — a song, play, piece of writing, or recipe — not a physical object. Frequently used in informal criticism of performances or amateur attempts.

Common Mistakes

I murdered my steak by overcooking it.' (technically correct but ambiguous — could sound literal)
He murdered the national anthem at the ceremony.
the context of performance makes the figurative meaning clear.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Murder', 'kill', 'assassinate', 'slay', and 'execute' all refer to ending a life, but differ critically. 'Murder' is specifically the unlawful, intentional killing of a person — it is always a crime in legal terms. 'Kill' is the broadest verb: it includes accidents, self-defence, legal wartime action, and animal death. 'Assassinate' means murdering a prominent figure (a politician, activist, or leader) for political reasons — the target's public status is part of the meaning. 'Slay' is formal or literary, used in epic or fantasy contexts (for humans or mythical creatures) and sounds dramatic. 'Execute' means putting someone to death as a legal punishment, authorised by a state or court. For example: 'The general was assassinated by enemy agents, not murdered by a common criminal.' And: 'The king ordered the traitor executed at dawn.'

kill ↗assassinateslayexecute ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

The word 'murder' comes from Old English 'morþor', meaning a secret killing or a violent death. It was reinforced by Old French 'murdre' and Latin 'murdrum' after the Norman Conquest. The core meaning — intentional, unlawful killing — has stayed remarkably stable for over a thousand years. The hyperbolic sense ('I could murder him!') emerged in the 1800s as a dramatic exaggeration, and the 'spoil badly' sense (murdering a song or a recipe) became common in 20th-century informal speech.