hitman
/ˈhɪtmæn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɪtmæn/ (ame, ipa)
hitman — noun
- hitmansingular
- hitmansplural
1. a man whose job is to kill people in exchange for money, usually working for a c
a man whose job is to kill people in exchange for money, usually working for a criminal group or a person who wants someone dead.
The detective believed a hitman had been hired to kill the witness before the trial.
passive: a hitman + had been hired to + infinitive
Beatriz wrote a thriller about a retired hitman who refuses one last job in Lisbon.
common collocation: a retired hitman
Police arrested two men suspected of working as hitmen for a drug gang in Mexico City.
Quan grew up hearing stories about a famous hitman who never left a single fingerprint behind.
The mob boss reportedly paid the hitman fifty thousand dollars for the contract.
- assassin
more formal; often targets political or famous figures, not always for money
- contract killer
neutral descriptive term for someone paid to kill under an agreement
- gunman
anyone who attacks with a gun; not necessarily paid
文法句型
hire a hitman
send a hitman after someone
用法筆記
Strongly associated with organized crime and gangland killings; almost always male — a paid female killer is usually called an assassin, not a hitwoman.
常見錯誤
2. someone an organization or powerful person uses to handle harsh, unpleasant jobs
someone an organization or powerful person uses to handle harsh, unpleasant jobs — for example firing staff, attacking rivals in public, or pushing through painful decisions on their behalf.
Every newsroom needs a hitman — the editor who tells reporters their favourite story has been cut.
figurative use inside an organization
Ingrid was the CEO's hitman, sent in whenever an underperforming office needed to be shut down.
collocation: the [boss]'s hitman
During the campaign, Anjali acted as the senator's political hitman, attacking rivals on television each night.
The new manager arrived with a reputation as a corporate hitman who closes factories without hesitation.
- hatchet man
near-identical figurative sense; slightly more common in American business writing
- enforcer
broader; can apply literally (gang muscle) or figuratively (workplace bully)
- attack dog
highly informal; emphasises the public, aggressive nature of the role
文法句型
the company's hitman
act as a hitman for
用法筆記
Always figurative — distinguishes from sense 1 (a literal killer) by context (a workplace, political race, or company restructuring rather than a crime scene). Overlap with English 'hatchet man'.