kill

/kɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /kɪl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkil/ (ame, mw)

kill — 動詞

  • killpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • killshe / she / it
  • killedpast simple
  • killing-ing form

1. to make a living creature die, whether you do it on purpose or by mistake

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A1
釋義

殺死；殺害

奪取生命，使死亡

to make a living creature die, whether you do it on purpose or by mistake

例句

The farmer killed the chicken for the family dinner.

農夫殺了那隻雞作為全家人的晚餐。

kill + object + for [purpose/meal]

Smoking kills thousands of people in Taiwan every year.

吸菸每年在台灣奪走數千人的生命。

intransitive use: smoking/cigarettes + kills

同義詞
  • murder

    only for intentional, unlawful killing of a person, more serious and specific

  • slay

    more formal or literary, often used in epic contexts (slay a dragon)

  • put down

    specifically for ending an animal's life to stop suffering

反義詞
  • save

    to keep someone or something from dying

  • rescue

    to remove from a dangerous situation before death occurs

文法句型

kill + object

kill + object + with [tool/weapon]

intransitive: [cause] + kills

用法筆記

Usually transitive in active voice, but also common intransitively when the subject is a cause of death (e.g. Smoking kills, Pollution kills).

常見錯誤

❌I killed from the flu last year.
✅I almost died from the flu last year.
💡'kill' needs a direct object; use 'die' when the subject is the person who passes away.
❌The poison was killed him.
✅The poison killed him.
💡'kill' in the active voice is more natural here; the passive 'was killed' does not fit with 'poison' as subject.

2. to stop something from continuing, or to spoil something completely so that it n

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

終結；毀滅

使關係、活動或情緒完全結束

to stop something from continuing, or to spoil something completely so that it no longer exists or has any value

例句

The argument over the money killed their twenty-year friendship.

那場關於金錢的爭執毀掉了他們二十年的友誼。

collocation: kill + friendship/relationship

The rain killed our plans for a picnic in the park.

那場雨毀了我們在公園野餐的計畫。

同義詞
  • destroy

    broader and more formal; can apply to both concrete and abstract things

  • ruin

    focuses more on making something no longer good or enjoyable

  • end

    neutral and less dramatic; simply means to stop something

反義詞
  • save

    to rescue a relationship or plan from failure

  • preserve

    to keep something in its existing good state

文法句型

kill + abstract object (relationship/plan/mood/hope)

用法筆記

The object is typically an abstract noun — relationship, plan, hope, mood, or spirit. This sense is not used for physically destroying objects (use 'break' or 'destroy' instead).

常見錯誤

❌The rain killed down our fun.
✅The rain killed our fun.
💡'kill' in this sense does not need 'down'; it is already complete without a particle.
❌I killed my phone by dropping it.
✅I broke my phone by dropping it.
💡'kill' is for abstract things; use 'break' for physical objects.

3. to finish the liquid inside a bottle, glass, or other container completely, ofte

3.動詞及物B1
釋義

喝光；乾掉

迅速喝完容器中的飲料

to finish the liquid inside a bottle, glass, or other container completely, often in a short time

例句

Christopher killed the bottle of water in just a few seconds.

Christopher 幾秒鐘就把那瓶水喝光了。

collocation: kill + bottle of [drink]

After the race, Tuan killed two bottles of sports drink.

比賽結束後，Tuan 喝光了兩瓶運動飲料。

同義詞
  • finish

    neutral register; works for any drink, not just finishing quickly

  • down

    similar informal register; focuses on drinking quickly (down a beer)

文法句型

kill + container of drink (bottle/glass/can)

用法筆記

Informal and often carries a sense of speed or enthusiasm. Refers to finishing the contents of a container (bottle, glass, can) rather than just drinking liquid generally. Not used for sipping.

常見錯誤

❌I killed some water from the glass.
✅I killed the glass of water.
💡'kill' refers to finishing the container's contents entirely, not taking some.
❌She killed a coffee before leaving.
✅She killed a cup of coffee before leaving.
💡The container (cup/bottle/glass) should be specified.

4. to make someone feel so tired that they almost cannot move or keep going

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

累垮

使人極度疲憊不堪

to make someone feel so tired that they almost cannot move or keep going

例句

The twelve-hour shift at the hospital killed Lara completely.

在醫院值十二小時的班把 Lara 徹底累垮了。

collocation: shift/job/work + kills [someone]

Climbing that mountain killed us, but the view was beautiful.

爬那座山把我們累壞了，但風景很美。

同義詞
  • exhaust

    neutral register; more formal and literal

  • tire out

    phrasal verb; similar register and meaning

  • wear out

    similar register; can also mean to make someone very tired

反義詞

文法句型

kill + person/animal (as object)

用法筆記

Always transitive; the object is the person or animal that becomes exhausted. Common in informal speech in phrases like 'This hike is killing me.' Very similar to sense 5 (cause pain), so look at context — if the result is wanting to rest rather than being in pain, this sense applies.

常見錯誤

❌I killed after work yesterday.
✅My job killed me after work yesterday.
💡'kill' needs a direct object; the cause of exhaustion must be the subject.

5. to cause someone to feel very sharp or intense physical pain, usually in a parti

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

痛極

引起劇烈疼痛

to cause someone to feel very sharp or intense physical pain, usually in a particular part of the body

例句

My new shoes are killing my feet after walking all day.

走了一整天，我的新鞋讓腳痛得要命。

progressive: [body part] + is killing + [person]

Amira's back was killing her after carrying boxes all morning.

Amira 扛了一整個早上的箱子，她的背痛得要命。

同義詞
  • hurt

    less intense and more general; can be used for any pain level

  • ache

    specifically for a dull, continuous pain rather than sharp pain

文法句型

kill + object (body part/person)

progressive: [body part] is/was killing [person]

用法筆記

Almost always used in the continuous or progressive aspect: 'My back is killing me' or 'The pain was killing her.' Rarely used in simple past to describe pain ('The pain killed me' sounds like literal death). Distinguish from sense 4: this sense is about pain, not tiredness.

常見錯誤

❌My head killed me all day.
✅My head has been killing me all day.
💡Native speakers nearly always use progressive tenses for this sense.
❌This bag kills me.
✅This bag is killing my shoulders.
💡Without context, simple present sounds like literal death; use progressive and specify the body part.

6. to say in a joking way that someone will be extremely angry if they find out tha

6.動詞及物B1
釋義

氣死

誇飾某人將會非常生氣

to say in a joking way that someone will be extremely angry if they find out that you have done something wrong

例句

My mom will kill me if I come home after midnight.

我要是過了午夜才回家，我媽會殺了我的。

will kill [person] + if [condition]

Jason's dad will kill him for scratching the new car.

Jason 的爸爸要是知道他刮花了新車，會氣死的。

同義詞
  • be furious

    more formal and literal; does not have the humorous exaggeration

  • go crazy

    similar informal register and exaggeration effect

文法句型

will kill + person + if/for + [reason]

would kill + person + if/for + [reason]

用法筆記

Always in the future tense ('will kill') or conditional ('would kill'). The speaker is exaggerating for effect — literal death is not intended. Common in informal, emotional speech. Rarely used in past tense.

常見錯誤

❌My dad killed me for breaking the window.
✅My dad was so angry at me for breaking the window.
💡Past tense sounds like literal murder; use a different expression for past anger.
❌She kills me if I am late.
✅She will kill me if I am late.
💡This expression requires future tense 'will kill'.

7. to be so funny that someone laughs very hard, often used to talk about a perform

7.動詞及物B2
釋義

令人捧腹

非常好笑讓人停不住笑

to be so funny that someone laughs very hard, often used to talk about a performance, joke, or story that makes a large group of people laugh loudly.

例句

Yuki killed the audience with her stand-up jokes last night.

Yuki 昨晚的單口喜劇表演讓全場觀眾笑翻了。

kill + audience — causing laughter in a group

The expression on the dog's face absolutely killed me.

那隻狗臉上的表情簡直把我笑死了。

同義詞
  • crack up

    similar register, also informal, e.g. 'cracked the whole audience up'

  • slay

    stronger, modern slang; 'slayed the crowd' implies outstanding performance

反義詞
  • bore

    opposite effect — making people tired instead of amused

文法句型

kill + someone (audience/class/crowd)

用法筆記

Often appears with 'absolutely' for emphasis ('it absolutely killed me'). Past tense 'killed' and continuous 'killing' are the most frequent forms. The subject is always the funny thing or person, not the person laughing.

常見錯誤

❌The joke killed myself.
✅The joke killed me.
💡When the joke or performer causes laughter, use an object pronoun (me/him/her/them), not a reflexive pronoun.

8. to laugh very hard and for a long time using the phrase 'kill yourself laughing'

8.動詞及物B2
釋義

笑翻；笑死

笑得非常厲害停不下來

to laugh very hard and for a long time using the phrase 'kill yourself laughing', where the focus is on your own laughter rather than on making others laugh.

例句

Nkechi killed herself laughing at the cat's silly dance.

Nkechi 看到貓咪滑稽的舞步笑得要命。

reflexive: kill + yourself + laughing

We killed ourselves laughing when the cake fell off the table onto his lap.

蛋糕從桌上掉到他腿上時，我們笑得東倒西歪。

同義詞
  • die laughing

    same meaning and register; 'I almost died laughing'

  • crack up

    intransitive, e.g. 'I cracked up when I saw his face'

文法句型

kill + yourself + laughing / with laughter

用法筆記

Always requires a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, herself, himself, ourselves, themselves). 'Kill yourself laughing' is the fixed formula; 'die laughing' is an alternative with the same meaning.

常見錯誤

❌I killed laughing at his story.
✅I killed myself laughing at his story.
💡The reflexive pronoun (myself/yourself/herself) is required in this sense and cannot be dropped.

9. to fill a period when you have nothing urgent to do by occupying yourself with a

9.動詞及物B1
釋義

打發時間

用不重要的活動消磨等待時間

to fill a period when you have nothing urgent to do by occupying yourself with a simple activity, just so the waiting does not feel so long.

例句

Caleb killed time by playing games on his phone while waiting for the train.

Caleb 在等火車的時候，靠玩手機遊戲打發時間。

kill time + by + -ing

We killed an hour at the café before the cinema opened for the evening show.

我們在晚場電影開演前去咖啡店待了一個小時打發時間。

kill + [specific time period]

同義詞
  • pass the time

    more neutral; does not imply the activity is unimportant

  • while away

    more literary; suggests a pleasant, relaxed way of spending time

文法句型

kill + [time / an hour / an afternoon / some time]

kill time + [by + -ing / with + noun]

用法筆記

The object of this sense is always a period of time (time, an hour, the afternoon). You cannot say 'kill a book' or 'kill a game' to mean you are spending time on them. The activities used to kill time are usually simple and not very meaningful — this gives the phrase a slightly negative or bored tone compared to 'spend time'.

常見錯誤

❌I killed two hours in the library studying for the exam.
✅I killed two hours in the library before the exam started.
💡'kill time' suggests the activity (studying) is not the main purpose; saying you 'killed time studying' sounds odd because studying is a meaningful activity.

10. to turn off a light, engine, or machine; to make a computer application or a com

10.動詞及物B2
釋義

關掉；終止

關閉引擎、燈光或強制停止程式

to turn off a light, engine, or machine; to make a computer application or a computing task stop running, particularly when it is frozen or causing trouble.

例句

The programme froze, so Yuki had to kill the process and restart her computer.

程式當機了，Yuki 只好終止處理程序，重新啟動電腦。

kill + process (computing context)

Christopher killed the engine and got out to check what the strange noise was.

Christopher 關掉引擎，下車查看那個奇怪的聲音是從哪裡來的。

kill + engine (vehicle context)

同義詞
  • turn off

    neutral and common; appropriate for everyday situations

  • shut down

    for computers or machines, a more complete and orderly stop

  • stop

    general term, not specific to abrupt or forceful stopping

反義詞

文法句型

kill + [engine / motor / lights / program / process]

用法筆記

In computing, 'kill' often means to forcefully stop a program that is not responding. On a car or machine, 'kill' is more informal than 'turn off' or 'switch off', and it often suggests a quick or abrupt action.

常見錯誤

❌I killed my phone before going to sleep.
✅I turned off my phone before going to sleep.
💡'kill' is not used for simply powering down a device in normal use; it is used for stopping a program that is causing trouble.

11. to decide that a news story, article, photograph, or television programme should

11.動詞及物C1
釋義

封殺；撤稿

阻止報導、圖片或節目刊出或播出

to decide that a news story, article, photograph, or television programme should not be published or broadcast, especially because of pressure from people in power.

例句

The newspaper editor killed the story about the factory's safety problems just before it went to print.

報紙編輯在即將付印前，撤掉了那篇關於工廠安全問題的報導。

kill + story + just before going to print

The network killed the documentary after the government complained about its content.

電視台在政府批評該紀錄片的內容後，決定停播。

kill + documentary + passive implications

同義詞
  • suppress

    more formal, often suggests government or official action to hide information

  • shelve

    means to delay rather than permanently stop; the project might be revisited later

  • censor

    focuses on removing parts of content rather than stopping the whole publication

反義詞

文法句型

kill + [story / report / article]

be killed + by [person / organization]

用法筆記

This sense is used mainly in journalism and publishing. The decision to kill a story is often about avoiding legal trouble, political pressure, or embarrassment to the publisher. It is stronger than simply 'not publishing' — it implies an active decision to stop something that was already planned.

12. to defeat a proposed law, official plan, or political motion so that it cannot b

12.動詞及物C1
釋義

否決；封殺

拒絕通過法案或提案

to defeat a proposed law, official plan, or political motion so that it cannot be passed or put into effect.

例句

The opposition party killed the bill by refusing to bring it to a vote.

反對黨拒絕將法案付諸表決，成功將其封殺。

kill + bill + by refusing to bring to vote

The senator's amendment was killed in committee by a vote of eight to five.

那位參議員提出的修正案在委員會中以八票對五票被否決。

passive: be killed in committee

同義詞
  • defeat

    more neutral; can be temporary or permanent

  • veto

    more specific; means a single person in authority rejects the proposal

  • block

    suggests preventing progress, but the proposal could still be brought back

  • reject

    a general term that does not carry the sense of finality that 'kill' has

反義詞

文法句型

kill + [bill / proposal / motion / amendment]

be killed + by [committee / vote / opposition]

用法筆記

This sense is used in formal political and legal contexts. 'Kill' here is stronger than 'defeat' — it implies the proposal is finished and unlikely to be brought back. The subject is usually a person, group, or institution with the power to block legislation.

13. to prevent the opposing team from scoring a goal in ice hockey while one of your

13.動詞及物C1
釋義

罰球防守

少一人時成功守住不讓對方得分

to prevent the opposing team from scoring a goal in ice hockey while one of your players is in the penalty box and your team has fewer skaters on the ice.

例句

The Buffalo Sabres killed the penalty with solid defensive play and good goaltending.

水牛城軍刀隊靠著紮實的防守和出色的守門成功化解了這次罰球。

sports term: kill + a penalty (ice hockey)

Trang's team killed three power plays in the final period to hold onto their lead.

Trang 的球隊在最後一節成功化解了三次以多打少的攻勢，保住了領先優勢。

反義詞
  • concede

    to allow a goal during a penalty kill; 'conceded on the power play'

文法句型

kill + a penalty

kill + a power play

用法筆記

Exclusive to ice hockey. The noun form 'penalty kill' (countable) is equally common. The opposite situation — when the opposing team has a player advantage — is called a 'power play'.

常見錯誤

❌The team killed the penalty in soccer.
✅The team killed the penalty in ice hockey.
💡This usage is specific to ice hockey, not soccer or other sports.

14. in rugby, to illegally stop the ball from being played by covering it with your

14.動詞及物C1
釋義

違規阻球

以身體阻擋球使比賽無法繼續

in rugby, to illegally stop the ball from being played by covering it with your body or holding onto it on the ground, usually to prevent the opposition from continuing their attack.

例句

Tamás went to the sin bin for killing the ball near the try line.

Tamás 因為在達陣線附近違規阻球而被罰下場休息十分鐘。

rugby offence: kill + the ball

The referee blew the whistle when the player killed the ball at the ruck.

裁判在球員於爭邊球處以身體阻球時吹響了哨子。

文法句型

kill + the ball

用法筆記

Almost always called as a penalty by the referee. Can lead to a yellow card ('sin bin') if the offence is repeated or intentional. The term is specific to rugby union and rugby league.

15. in football, to bring a moving ball under control by trapping it with your foot,

15.動詞及物B2
釋義

停球

用身體部位將球停下控制住

in football, to bring a moving ball under control by trapping it with your foot, chest, or thigh, usually as the first touch after receiving a pass or a high ball.

例句

Rania killed the high ball with her chest and then volleyed it into the net.

Rania 用胸口漂亮地停住了高空球，然後凌空抽射入網。

soccer: kill + the ball with chest

The striker killed the ball with one touch and fired a shot past the goalkeeper.

前鋒一腳停球後起腳射門，球越過守門員飛入球門。

同義詞
  • trap

    more common synonym, especially in American English

  • control

    general term; 'brought the ball under control'

文法句型

kill + the ball (with foot/chest/thigh)

用法筆記

Common in British football commentary and coaching. 'Trap' is used more often in American English. The phrase 'kill the ball' emphasizes bringing a fast-moving or high ball to a complete stop with precision.

常見錯誤

❌He killed the ball in tennis (meaning he controlled it).
✅He killed the ball in football.
💡In tennis, 'kill' means a powerful winning shot, not controlling the ball.

16. in tennis, badminton, volleyball, and similar games, to hit the ball or shuttlec

16.動詞及物B2
釋義

扣殺；殺球

用力擊球使對方無法回擊得分

in tennis, badminton, volleyball, and similar games, to hit the ball or shuttlecock so powerfully or precisely that the opponent has no chance to return it and you win the point.

例句

Élise killed the ball with a powerful smash that landed just inside the line.

Élise 以一記強力扣殺將球打到底線附近，對手無力回擊。

racket sports: kill + the ball (smash)

Ayesha killed the shuttlecock with a sharp drop shot at the net.

Ayesha 在網前以一記刁鑽的小球扣殺得分。

同義詞
  • smash

    specific to tennis and badminton; a powerful overhead shot

  • spike

    specific to volleyball; a hard hit downward into the opponent's court

文法句型

kill + the ball (with a smash/spike/drop shot)

用法筆記

In volleyball, 'kill' is an official statistic counting any attack that results in a point directly. In tennis and badminton, the term describes an aggressive shot that the opponent has no chance to return.

常見錯誤

❌She killed the ball by gently tapping it over the net.
✅She killed the ball with a powerful smash.
💡'Killing the ball' requires a shot that is too strong or well-placed for the opponent to return.

kill — 名詞