1
: one that kills
2
3
a
: one that has a forceful, violent, or striking impact
b
: one that is extremely difficult to deal with
1
: strikingly impressive or effective
a killer smile
a killer résumé
2
: extremely difficult to deal with
a killer fastball
also
: causing death or devastation
a killer tornado
Synonyms
Examples of killer in a Sentence
Noun
Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women.
The chemical is used as a weed killer.
Adjective
killer viruses that claimed millions of lives
a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape
Recent Examples on the Web
CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Shasta Groene, who survived being kidnapped by a serial killer, is asking for her community’s help once more after losing her home in a fire.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Songs about serial killers, Superman, and religion all co-existing.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
In a profile of a killer who worships art for art’s sake, these allusions make sense.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen this week cited Newsom’s order in seeking to have condemned killers in cases county prosecutors handled resentenced to life without parole.
—John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The director says that Netflix has no plans to take that franchise to international local markets, explaining that the streamer is looking for subjects, serial killers or otherwise, that viewers around the world have heard of so that the program will resonate with them.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
His killer, Eric R. Holder Jr., received a sentence of 60 years to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2023.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024
Now, Laura has seven days to identify the killer and reverse the course of fate.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
In Idaho, the scheduled execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech in February was halted after a medical team unsuccessfully tried eight times to establish an IV.
—CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Shasta Groene, who survived being kidnapped by a serial killer, is asking for her community’s help once more after losing her home in a fire.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Songs about serial killers, Superman, and religion all co-existing.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
In a profile of a killer who worships art for art’s sake, these allusions make sense.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen this week cited Newsom’s order in seeking to have condemned killers in cases county prosecutors handled resentenced to life without parole.
—John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The director says that Netflix has no plans to take that franchise to international local markets, explaining that the streamer is looking for subjects, serial killers or otherwise, that viewers around the world have heard of so that the program will resonate with them.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
His killer, Eric R. Holder Jr., received a sentence of 60 years to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2023.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024
Now, Laura has seven days to identify the killer and reverse the course of fate.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'killer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near killer
Cite this Entry
“Killer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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