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.