murder 1 of 2

noun

ˈmər-dər How to pronounce murder (audio)
Definition of murdernext
1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness this weather is murder on my sinuses

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in homicide
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life arrested for attempting to commit murder

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murder

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately those people made me so mad I felt like I wanted to murder them

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way we listened in horror as she murdered our favorite song on stage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word murder distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of murder are assassinate, dispatch, execute, kill, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When could assassinate be used to replace murder?

Although the words assassinate and murder have much in common, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When might dispatch be a better fit than murder?

The words dispatch and murder can be used in similar contexts, but dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

Where would execute be a reasonable alternative to murder?

In some situations, the words execute and murder are roughly equivalent. However, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When would kill be a good substitute for murder?

While in some cases nearly identical to murder, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is it sensible to use slay instead of murder?

While the synonyms slay and murder are close in meaning, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of murder
Noun
He is being held without bond in the Cabarrus County Jail, charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, Concord police said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 Jollotta’s testimony comes three weeks into Clancy’s trial on three counts of murder in the killings of her children Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
Gein murdered at least two women, as well as illegally exhumed and mutilated multiple corpses, in the 1940s and 1950s. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 While shocked at Sharon’s death, reports suggested that most people didn’t panic about violence until Manson followers Krenwinkel, Watson and Leslie Van Houten murdered the LaBiancas, stoking fear in the general public. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for murder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murder
  1. nightmare
  2. homicide
  3. assassinate
  4. fumble
  5. torture
  6. slaying
  7. slay
  8. blow
Noun
  • But when strange, dangerous things begin to happen to the sleeping clientele, Penny must uncover the mystery before the nightmare spreads beyond the store.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Practicing football with a two-foot-long, deadly snake inside your helmet is the stuff of nightmares.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • The death of an inmate at California State Prison, Sacramento, is being investigated as a homicide, officials said on Tuesday.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The medical examiner’s office ruled the manner of death as a homicide and the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head at the time of the killing, according to the arrest report.
    — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of homicide
Verb
  • Experts say the changes mark a shift in approach compared to the more cautious tone under Mojtaba’s father, Ali Khamenei, who was supreme leader until assassinated by Israel at the start of the war.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival?
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Verb
  • With personal terms already agreed then, all that’s left is for FC Barcelona to persuade City with its transfer package and not fumble this in a manner that would open the door to Real Madrid once more.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And Cam Skattebo fumbled at the end of a long run when Layne punched the ball out and corner Korie Black recovered.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Noun
  • But even those people who dislike the very existence of private schools in big cities would be hard-pressed to make the case that the entire sector collectively makes up a torture chamber.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Her work has included uncovering human trafficking networks, revealing an ISIS underground torture prison in Syria, documenting the war in Ukraine and interviewing senior political figures and world leaders.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of torture
Noun
  • The explosion targeting Ranucci occurred on the eighth anniversary of the car bomb slaying of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Members of Garvin’s family visited the scene of his slaying hours after he was shot.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of slaying
Verb
  • Lean into your confidence and slay the competition, knowing that the fiercest flex is being yourself.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • After pressing go, the smart telescope should move and slew towards the sun.
    — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of slay
Verb
  • Then a few months after the trumpets were blown, World War II broke out.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • On a covered walkway between the Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas shrines this week, metal fans blow a cooling mist.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow

Browse Nearby Words

murals
murder
murdered
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Cite this Entry

“Murder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murder. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on murder

Nglish: Translation of murder for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about murder

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