OpenSynonym

killed

/kɪld/

VERB

1. Caused to die

Having caused the death of a person, animal, or other living organism through deliberate action, violence, disease, or another lethal cause.

1.1. Causing death through violence or deliberate action

Describes a person or animal that has been deliberately deprived of life through murder, assassination, execution, or other violent means.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • saved
  • spared
  • rescued
  • protected
  • preserved

Examples

  • The documentary revealed how the fire killed hundreds of animals in the forest.
  • She was devastated when the accident killed her beloved pet.
  • The hero in the story killed the dragon to save the village.
  • The dictator was eventually assassinated by his political enemies.

Related Words

1.2. Death caused by accidents or natural causes

Describes a living organism that has died as a result of an accident, disease, environmental conditions, or another unintended cause.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • survived
  • recovered
  • revived
  • saved
  • rescued

Examples

  • The disease killed thousands of livestock across the region.
  • The severe frost killed many plants in the garden.
  • Several animals were killed when the forest fire spread overnight.

Related Words

VERB

2. Rendered inoperative or terminated

Having caused something to stop functioning, cease operating, or come to an end.

2.1. Ending activities, plans, or proposals

Describes an activity, project, proposal, or arrangement that has been stopped, canceled, discontinued, or prevented from continuing.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The heavy rain killed all the outdoor plans we had for the weekend.
  • The unexpected announcement killed the proposed agreement.
  • The lack of funding effectively killed the development project.

Related Words

2.2. Deactivating machines and electronic systems

Describes a machine, engine, electronic device, application, or system that has been switched off, disabled, or rendered inactive.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • He killed the engine and stepped out to enjoy the fresh air.
  • The technician killed the power before repairing the electrical equipment.
  • The administrator killed the unresponsive application.

Related Words

VERB

3. Caused great pain or distress

Having caused someone intense physical pain, emotional suffering, discomfort, or exhaustion.

3.1. Physical pain and discomfort

Used literally or informally to emphasize severe physical pain, injury, or discomfort caused by an activity, condition, or external factor.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • healed
  • relieved
  • comforted
  • strengthened
  • invigorated
  • rejuvenated

Examples

  • The long hike killed his legs, leaving him unable to walk comfortably.
  • The severe headache nearly killed her with pain.
  • The demanding workout left his muscles completely exhausted.

Related Words

  • pain
  • injury
  • soreness
  • discomfort
  • fatigue
  • exhaustion
  • muscle strain
  • physical stress

3.2. Emotional suffering and distress

Describes a person who has experienced intense emotional pain, anxiety, grief, frustration, or psychological distress because of a particular situation.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The uncertainty about her future was killing her.
  • The constant criticism had killed his confidence.
  • The prolonged separation nearly killed them emotionally.

Related Words

VERB

4. Used up or exhausted

Having consumed, depleted, or wasted time, energy, money, or other resources, often excessively or without achieving a useful result.

4.1. Wasting or consuming time

Describes time that has been spent or wasted while waiting, performing unproductive activities, or dealing with unnecessary delays.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • We killed several hours waiting for the delayed flight.
  • The unnecessary meetings killed valuable working time.
  • She played games to kill time while waiting for her appointment.

Related Words

4.2. Exhausting energy and resources

Describes energy, money, supplies, or other resources that have been consumed or depleted through excessive use or demanding circumstances.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • replenished
  • restored
  • recharged
  • conserved
  • preserved
  • renewed

Examples

  • The prolonged negotiations killed everyone's enthusiasm.
  • The extended workload had exhausted the entire team.
  • The unnecessary expenses killed the company's financial reserves.

Related Words

VERB

5. Overwhelmed or impressed someone

Having produced an exceptionally powerful impression on someone through outstanding performance, humor, charm, beauty, or another compelling quality.

5.1. Impressive performances and achievements

Used informally to describe someone who performed exceptionally well, impressed an audience, or achieved remarkable success, particularly in entertainment or public speaking.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The comedian killed with his performance at the comedy club.
  • She absolutely killed it during her presentation.
  • The band killed the audience with an unforgettable performance.

Related Words

5.2. Success with an audience

Describes a comedian, entertainer, or performer who received an enthusiastic response and achieved great success with an audience.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The comedian killed with a series of hilarious jokes.
  • His witty remarks killed at the comedy show.
  • The performer delighted the audience with her humorous stories.

Related Words

5.3. Powerful emotional or psychological effects

Describes something that has an overwhelming effect on someone's emotions, feelings, or state of mind, sometimes causing intense attraction, fascination, or distress.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • Her breathtaking performance killed the audience with emotion.
  • The spectacular scenery overwhelmed the visitors.
  • His charm completely captivated everyone at the event.

Related Words

VERB

6. Overpowered or defeated

Having decisively overcome an opponent, competitor, or opposing force through superior strength, skill, or performance.

6.1. Defeating opponents in competition

Describes an opponent or competing team that has been decisively defeated or overwhelmed in a contest, game, or other competitive situation.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The home team killed its opponents in the championship match.
  • Our team killed the competition with an outstanding performance.
  • The defending champions were determined to defeat their rivals.

Related Words

6.2. Overpowering through physical force

Describes someone who has been struck, beaten, or overwhelmed by physical force, particularly in combat or a confrontation.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The boxer killed his opponent with a powerful finishing blow.
  • The fighter was knocked out by a devastating punch.
  • The defending player was overwhelmed by the opponent's attack.

Related Words

VERB

7. Forced a business to close

Having caused a company or commercial enterprise to fail, become financially unsustainable, or cease operating.

7.1. Business failure and commercial closure

Describes a business that has been ruined or forced out of operation because of financial difficulties, competition, poor management, or unfavorable market conditions.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • established
  • founded
  • developed
  • sustained
  • revived
  • restored
  • strengthened

Examples

  • The new competitor's aggressive pricing killed several small businesses.
  • Years of financial mismanagement nearly killed the company.
  • The economic downturn destroyed many struggling enterprises.

Related Words

VERB

8. Punished severely

Having subjected someone to severe punishment, harsh treatment, or an overwhelming disciplinary consequence.

8.1. Severe punishment and disciplinary treatment

Describes someone who has been punished harshly or subjected to severe treatment as a consequence of an action or offense.

Synonyms

  • punished
  • disciplined
  • penalized
  • sanctioned
  • reprimanded
  • chastised
  • thrashed

Antonyms

Examples

  • The coach killed the team with an exhausting training session after their poor performance.
  • The soldiers were severely punished for disobeying orders.

Related Words

VERB

9. Struck a ball with an unbeatable shot

Having hit a ball with exceptional force and precision so that an opponent could not successfully defend against or return the shot.

9.1. Winning shots in ball sports

Used particularly in volleyball and racket sports to describe an attacking shot that lands beyond an opponent's ability to return it, resulting in a winning point.

Synonyms

  • smashed
  • spiked
  • slammed
  • struck
  • drove
  • hit
  • attacked

Antonyms

Examples

  • The volleyball player killed the ball with a powerful spike.
  • She killed the cross-court shot, leaving her opponent unable to return it.
  • The player smashed the ball down the line to win the final point.

Related Words

VERB

10. Caused a ball to go out of play

Having caused a ball to leave the playable area or otherwise become out of play, resulting in a stoppage or interruption of a sporting match.

10.1. Stopping play by sending a ball out of bounds

Describes a ball that has been hit or directed beyond the boundaries of a playing area, requiring the game to stop or restart.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • kept in play
  • returned
  • retained

Examples

  • The player killed the ball by sending it beyond the boundary line.
  • The defender sent the ball out of play, forcing the referee to stop the match.

Related Words

  • ball
  • boundary
  • sideline
  • out of bounds
  • stoppage
  • referee
  • restart
  • gameplay

VERB

11. Reduced a value to zero

Having caused a numerical value, variable, or measurable quantity to become zero.

11.1. Setting numerical and computational values to zero

Used in mathematical, programming, and technical contexts to describe setting a variable, counter, or numerical quantity to zero.

Synonyms

  • zeroed
  • reset
  • nullified
  • cleared
  • reset to zero

Antonyms

Examples

  • The program killed the counter by resetting its value to zero.
  • The function zeroed the variable after completing the calculation.

Related Words

VERB

12. Disconnected a user from a network

Having forcibly disconnected a user or participant from an online communication network or server.

12.1. Internet and network disconnection

Used particularly in Internet Relay Chat and other communication systems to describe forcibly removing a connected user from a network or server.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The network administrator killed the inactive user's connection.
  • The server disconnected users who violated its connection rules.

Related Words

ADJECTIVE

13. Deoxidized steel

Describing steel that has been deoxidized during the steelmaking process to remove or reduce dissolved oxygen before solidification.

13.1. Steelmaking and metallurgical processing

Used in metallurgy to describe steel that has undergone deoxidation, particularly killed steel, in which oxygen is removed through the addition of deoxidizing agents to reduce gas formation during solidification.

Synonyms

  • deoxidized
  • fully deoxidized
  • fully killed

Antonyms

  • rimmed
  • unkilled
  • partially deoxidized

Examples

  • The manufacturer selected killed steel for its uniform composition and reduced gas porosity.
  • Killed steel is commonly used in applications requiring consistent mechanical properties.

Related Words

  • steel
  • metallurgy
  • deoxidation
  • oxygen
  • solidification
  • aluminum
  • silicon
  • manganese
  • ingot
  • steelmaking