What does hitmen mean?
Hitmen is the standard plural of hitman, a term for people who are paid to kill someone. Its strongest association is with professional criminals and organized crime, particularly the American underworld, although the word now appears frequently in films, television programmes, novels, and games. In a literal context, the expression generally describes hired assassins rather than people who kill in self-defence or during warfare. In fictional contexts, characters described as hitmen may be ruthless professionals, former criminals, or comic exaggerations. Because the word carries connotations of murder-for-hire, deliberate violence, and criminal enterprise, it is normally negative or menacing. The plural form is formed by changing the singular ending of hitman from -man to -men, while the pronunciation stresses the first syllable.
plural nounThe plural of hitman: people, especially members of organized crime, who are hired to kill someone. The term is also commonly used in fiction and popular culture for assassins or similarly dangerous characters.
- People who are hired to kill another person, especially professional assassins associated with organized crime.
"The novel follows a retired hitman who is drawn back into a criminal organization."
"Two rival groups sent hitmen after the witness before the trial began."
"The film portrays the aging hitmen as men trying to leave their violent lives behind."
Hitmen is already the standard plural of hitman and takes no additional plural ending.
"The witness claimed that hitmen had been watching the courthouse."
The word turns murder into a chilling transaction: a target, a fee, and a professional to do the hitting.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of hitmen
Hitman is a modern English compound formed from the elements hit and man, with the sense of a person who carries out an assassination. The expression emerged in American English in the early twentieth century, amid the growth of organized-crime slang. Its development reflects the figurative use of a hit as a violent or criminal act directed against someone.
Related word forms
How hitmen is actually used
The term is strongly associated with organized crime and violence and is usually derogatory. It is also widely used in crime fiction, film, television, and video games, where it can be hyperbolic or playful.
Easily confused with hitmen
A hitman is the singular form, whereas hitmen is the standard plural used for more than one hired killer.