murder

1 of 2

noun

mur·​der ˈmər-dər How to pronounce murder (audio)
plural murders
1
: the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing a person
an attempted murder
specifically, law : such a crime committed under circumstances defined by statute
Under Minnesota law, third-degree murder is defined as causing the death of a person "by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind" without regard for life or intent to kill. A conviction on this count carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Second-degree murder, according to Minnesota law, is charged when the defendant intentionally kills someone, albeit without preparing to do so ahead of time. (Premeditation would warrant a first-degree murder charge). Kaylee McGhee
2
a
: something very difficult or dangerous
the traffic was murder
carrying the luggage was murder on my back
b
: something outrageous or blameworthy
getting away with murder
3
: a flock of crows
There's a reason the proper term for a flock of them is a murder of crows, and it's not because we like having them around.Jeffrey Kluger

murder

2 of 2

verb

murdered; murdering ˈmər-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce murder (audio) ; murders

transitive verb

1
: to kill (a person) unlawfully and unjustifiably with premeditated malice
He was accused/convicted of murdering the missing hiker.
The missing hiker was found murdered.
sometimes used figuratively
My father will murder me [=be very angry] when he finds out I dented the car.
2
: to slaughter mercilessly : slay
bombs murdered innocent civilians
3
a
: to put an end to : destroy
… the same man who, if ever he were in power, would … murder truth, freedom, and art …Budd Schulberg
b
: tease, torment
murder'd this poor heart of mine …Shakespeare
c
: to spoil or ruin : botch, mangle
a writer who murders the English language
The band murdered that song.
d
: to defeat badly
The football team murdered their opponents 35-3.

intransitive verb

: to commit murder
a charge of armed assault with intent to murder
They murdered for money …Leonora LaPeter Anton
Choose the Right Synonym for murder

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Examples of murder in a Sentence

Noun She was accused of murder. the mass murder of civilians in wartime a string of unsolved murders Traffic is murder this time of day. Verb He was arrested and accused of murdering his wife. His wife was found murdered. a dictator who is responsible for murdering thousands of innocent people The band murdered that song.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
What is the difference between 1st- and 2nd-degree murder? First- and second-degree murder are the only class one felonies in Arizona and carry steep sentences. Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 Last year, the murder rate saw the sharpest decrease in history, and violent crime fell to one of the lowest levels in more than 50 years. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 The Alabama Republican noted the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley last month on the campus of the University of Georgia. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Related article Questions remain in investigation of death of Augusta University student found on UGA campus The suspect in her killing, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, has since been charged with felony murder, false imprisonment and kidnapping and concealing the death of another, jail records show. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Ruffin, who’s serving a life sentence after he was convicted of murder, was being escorted back to jail around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 after being treated at Ochsner Medical Center following a seizure, Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said at a news conference. Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 It was said to be the largest murder of jewish people since the holocaust of WWII. Simon Constable, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 He was arrested and booked into the Metro Detention Center on a murder charge, officers said. Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024 Prior to Jensen's death, Creech was convicted of five murders in three states and is suspected of at least a half-dozen others. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
The album would become notorious for his decision to record at the sprawling bungalow on 10050 Cielo Drive, the house where a pregnant Sharon Tate and five other people were murdered on August 8, 1969 by Charles Manson’s followers. Adam Steiner, SPIN, 8 Mar. 2024 Emperor Nero’s first wife and his mother were murdered on his orders; Nero’s second wife was kicked to death while pregnant. Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Nearly one million Jews and more than 110,000 Roma, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war were murdered here between 1940 and 1945. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 Crumbley, the father of the Oxford school shooter, is facing involuntary manslaughter charges — the same charges on which his wife was convicted a month ago as a jury held her responsible for the deaths of four students murdered by their son in the 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Several other eminent Zaydi figures who had criticized the Houthis were murdered under similar circumstances. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 The opposition leader’s death sparked condemnation from world leaders and accusations from his aides that he had been murdered, though the Kremlin has denied any involvement in his death. Darya Tarasova and Amy Cassidy, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Absent from the fond acclaim was any mention of the fact that Shakur murdered a police officer in 1973. Becket Adams, National Review, 25 Feb. 2024 In that prosecution, the government alleges that a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plotted to murder former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton. Ryan Lucas, NPR, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'murder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

partly from Middle English murther, from Old English morthor; partly from Middle English murdre, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English morthor; akin to Old High German mord murder, Latin mort-, mors death, mori to die, mortuus dead, Greek brotos mortal

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of murder was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near murder

Cite this Entry

“Murder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murder. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

murder

1 of 2 noun
mur·​der ˈmərd-ər How to pronounce murder (audio)
1
: the intentional and unlawful killing of a person
2
: something that is difficult or dangerous
traffic was murder this morning

murder

2 of 2 verb
murdered; murdering ˈmərd-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce murder (audio)
1
: to commit murder
2
: to spoil by performing or using poorly
murder a song
murder the English language
murderer
-ər-ər
noun

Legal Definition

murder

1 of 2 noun
mur·​der ˈmər-dər How to pronounce murder (audio)
: the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing another under circumstances defined by statute (as with premeditation)
especially : such a crime committed purposely, knowingly, and recklessly with extreme indifference to human life or during the course of a serious felony (as robbery or rape) compare cold blood, cooling time, homicide, manslaughter

Note: Self-defense, necessity, and lack of capacity for criminal responsibility (as because of insanity) are defenses to a charge of murder. Most state statutes and the U.S. Code divide murder into two degrees. Florida, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania currently have three degrees of murder. Some states do not assign degrees of murder.

depraved-heart murder \ di-​ˈprāvd-​ˈhärt-​ \
: a murder that is the result of an act which is dangerous to others and shows that the perpetrator has a depraved mind and no regard for human life

Note: Depraved-heart murder is usually considered second- or third-degree murder.

felony murder
: a murder that occurs in the commission of a serious felony (as burglary or sexual battery) compare misdemeanor-manslaughter at manslaughter

Note: Felony murder is usually considered first-degree murder. Felony murder does not require specific intent to kill, and an accessory to the felony may also be charged with the murder.

first-degree murder
: a murder that is committed with premeditation or during the course of a serious felony (as kidnapping) or that otherwise (as because of extreme cruelty) requires the most serious punishment under the law
second-degree murder
: a murder that is committed without premeditation but with some intent (as general or transferred intent) or other circumstances not covered by the first-degree murder statute
third-degree murder
: a murder that is not first- or second-degree murder: as
a : a murder committed in the perpetration of a felony not listed in the first-degree murder statute
b : depraved-heart murder in this entry

murder

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to kill (a human being) unlawfully and under circumstances constituting murder

intransitive verb

: to commit murder
Etymology

Noun

partly from Old English morthor; partly from Old French murdre, of Germanic origin

More from Merriam-Webster on murder

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