# killing

Pronunciation: say "KIL-ing" /ˈkɪl.ɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of kill. — present participle and gerund of kill
   - Simple: Present participle of kill. Use this -ing form when the action is happening now or named as a thing.
   - _The drought was killing crops across the entire region._
   - _Killing the infection early prevents serious complications._

## Noun

2. An instance in which someone is killed.
   - Simple: A single event in which a person is killed.
   - _The killing took place in broad daylight near the market._
   - _Witnesses described the killing to detectives the next morning._
3. The act of causing the death of a living being.
   - Simple: The act of causing a person or animal to die.
   - _The killing of livestock must follow strict humane standards._
   - _He argued that the killing of any sentient being is wrong._
5. A large amount of money, especially a sizable profit. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A very large amount of money, often earned quickly.
   - _Early investors made a killing when the startup went public._
   - _He made a killing flipping houses before the market cooled._

## Adjective

4. Capable of depriving a living thing of life; lethal, deadly, or fatal.
   - Simple: Strong enough to cause death.
   - _The killing cold of the mountain pass claimed several climbers._
   - _A single killing blow ended the duel in seconds._
6. Extremely funny; so amusing as to leave one helpless with laughter. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: So funny that you can't stop laughing.
   - _His deadpan delivery was killing, and the whole room collapsed in laughter._
   - _The comedian opened with a killing routine about airport security._

## Adjective

7. Strikingly or irresistibly attractive. *(dated)*
   - Simple: So good-looking that people can't look away.
   - _She flashed him a killing smile across the counter, and he forgot what he had come in to buy._
   - _Half the parish agreed that the new curate was perfectly killing, and the pews filled up every Sunday._

## Origin

From Middle English kyllyng, equivalent to kill combined with the suffix -ing.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/killing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).