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.

Example Sentences

It also offered to sell another knife model, which had also been surrendered, similar to one used to murder a man in Luton in 2023.

From BBC

Pictures film, which was directed by Eastwood and stars Nicholas Hoult as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, had its world premiere last month at the American Film Institute’s festival in Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times

"There's only so many times you can turn a deaf ear to being called murdering scum," smiles former fox hunt master, Byron John.

From BBC

Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims.

From BBC

He said that while the the "tragic incident" happened many years ago, there will be people who either remember the murder or have connections to Ms Dunne's family.

From BBC

Related Words

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

Murder Vs. Manslaughter

What’s the difference between murder and manslaughter?

Murder is the legal term for the intentional killing of someone or the killing of someone as the result of a complete disregard for their life. Manslaughter is the legal term for the act of killing someone without intending to, often in an accidental way.

There are many specific conditions and interpretations surrounding what constitutes murder and manslaughter, and laws vary by location. The word murder is also commonly used in more general ways. In legal contexts, though, it’s typically used in a way that implies that the killing was intentional or the result of a complete disregard for the victim’s life, and this is the crucial difference between the words.

In the U.S., manslaughter can be classified as voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary manslaughter often involves a person who kills someone through voluntary actions but without intending to harm them. For example, this could apply to a person who unintentionally kills someone during a fight after having been provoked to fight (especially when their actions are considered to go beyond those deemed appropriate for self-defense). Acts labeled as involuntary manslaughter are often reckless but accidental. For example, the term may be applied to a case in which a driver kills someone as a result of their reckless driving (this is sometimes specifically called vehicular manslaughter).

On the other hand, a person who intentionally runs someone over with their car would likely be charged with murder (unless it involved self-defense). Many jurisdictions classify murders with different degrees. For example, if a person intentionally runs someone over with their car after having planned to do it (that is, after having premeditated it), the act would be called first-degree murder. However, if the killing was intentional but not premeditated, it would be called second-degree murder. Of course, the official charge is typically based on what can be proven during a trial.

Here’s an example of murder and manslaughter used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: The accused was originally charged with manslaughter because it appeared to be a reckless driving accident, but the charge was changed to first-degree murder when the police discovered journals in which the driver had written plans to kill the victim and make it look like an accident.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between murder and manslaughter.

Quiz yourself on murder vs. manslaughter!

Should murder or manslaughter be used in the following sentence?

There is clear evidence that the defendant intended to kill the victim, and therefore the charge must be _____.