murder

[ mur-der ]

noun

1. Law. the killing of another human being under conditions specifically covered in law. In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson first-degree murder, ormurder one, and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation second-degree murder, ormurder two.
2. Slang. something extremely difficult or perilous:

   That final exam was murder!

3. a group or flock of crows.

verb (used with object)

1. Law. to kill by an act constituting murder.
2. to kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously.
3. to spoil or mar by bad performance, representation, pronunciation, etc.:

   The tenor murdered the aria.

verb (used without object)

1. to commit murder.

murder

/ ˈmɜːdə /

noun

1. the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another Compare manslaughter homicide
2. informal.
   something dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant

   driving around London is murder

3. cry blue murder informal.
   to make an outcry
4. get away with murder informal.
   to escape censure; do as one pleases

verb

1. also intr to kill (someone) unlawfully with premeditation or during the commission of a crime
2. to kill brutally
3. informal.
   to destroy; ruin

   he murdered her chances of happiness

4. informal.
   to defeat completely; beat decisively

   the home team murdered their opponents

Derived Forms

• ˈmurderer, noun
• ˈmurderess, noun:feminine

Other Words From

• self-murder noun
• self-murdered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of murder¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English mo(u)rdre, murder, variant (influenced by Old French murdre, from Germanic ) of murthre; murther

Word History and Origins

Origin of murder¹

Old English morthor; related to Old English morth, Old Norse morth, Latin mors death; compare French meurtre

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get away with murder, Informal. to engage in a deplorable activity without incurring harm or punishment:

   The new baby-sitter lets the kids get away with murder.

2. murder will out, a secret will eventually be exposed.
3. yell / scream bloody murder,
   1. to scream loudly in pain, fear, etc.
   2. to protest loudly and angrily:

      If I don't get a good raise I'm going to yell bloody murder.

More idioms and phrases containing murder

In addition to the idiom beginning with murder , also see get away with (murder) ; scream bloody murder .

Synonym Study

See kill ¹.

Related Words

• assassinate
• behead
• butcher
• decapitate
• destroy
• execute
• exterminate
• lynch
• massacre
• shoot
• slaughter
• slay
• strangle