Kill Idioms (With Meaning and Examples)

Welcome to our fun world of idioms! Idioms are phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say, but everyone understands them anyway. Today, we’re diving into idioms that include the word “kill.” These sayings are used a lot in English, and they can make talking and writing more colorful. Let’s learn some together!

Kill Idioms

Here are 20 kill idioms in English.

1. Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: Accomplish two tasks with one action
Example: He killed two birds with one stone by studying while commuting.

2. Dressed to kill

Meaning: Wear clothes to impress
Example: She was dressed to kill at the gala.

3. Kill time

Meaning: Pass time doing unimportant things
Example: I killed time by playing video games.

4. Kill the lights

Meaning: Turn off the lights
Example: Kill the lights before you leave.

5. Kill with kindness

Meaning: Overwhelm someone with kindness
Example: She killed her critics with kindness.

6. Kill the goose that lays the golden egg

Meaning: Destroy a valuable resource
Example: They risked killing the goose with reckless spending.

7. Kill the engine

Meaning: Turn off the engine
Example: Kill the engine; we’ll wait here.

8. Killjoy

Meaning: Someone who spoils fun
Example: Don’t be such a killjoy at parties!

9. Overkill

Meaning: Excessive action
Example: Three reminders are overkill.

10. Fresh kill

Meaning: Recently hunted prey
Example: The cat brought in a fresh kill.

11. Killing frost

Meaning: Frost that destroys crops
Example: The killing frost ruined the harvest.

12. Make a killing

Meaning: Earn a lot of money quickly
Example: He made a killing in the stock market.

13. Kill the messenger

Meaning: Blame the bearer of bad news
Example: Don’t kill the messenger, please!

14. Kill the bill

Meaning: Stop a bill from becoming law
Example: The senator aimed to kill the bill.

15. Kill a penalty

Meaning: Successfully stop the opposing team from scoring
Example: They killed the penalty and won the game.

16. Kill the competition

Meaning: Defeat competitors easily
Example: Their new product killed the competition.

17. Kill it

Meaning: Do something very well
Example: She killed it at her new job.

18. Curiosity killed the cat

Meaning: Inquiry can lead to trouble
Example: Remember, curiosity killed the cat!

19. Kill oneself laughing

Meaning: Laugh very hard
Example: We killed ourselves laughing at the joke.

20. Kill one’s darlings

Meaning: Remove beloved parts of your work
Example: The editor told her to kill her darlings.

Kill Idioms