What does killed mean?
Killed is the past tense and past participle of the verb kill, meaning to cause the death of a person, animal, plant, or microorganism. It is also widely used figuratively: a machine, process, plan, or rumor can be killed, meaning that it has been stopped, destroyed, or made ineffective. In news reports, “killed” is a concise and generally neutral way to report a death, while more specific terms such as “murdered,” “assassinated,” or “executed” convey additional legal or historical information. The word can appear in ordinary conversation, journalism, legal contexts, and formal writing. Its meaning may sometimes be left implicit in a sentence, particularly when the subject is clear: “The drought killed the harvest.” In other contexts, specifying the cause or manner of death is more informative and appropriate.
To cause the death of a person, animal, plant, or microorganism.
"The disease killed thousands of trees in the region."
This is the literal and most frequent meaning. More specific verbs can identify an intentional or legally defined act, as in “murdered” or “executed.”
To stop, destroy, or make ineffective; to neutralize.
"The committee killed the proposal before it reached the floor."
This figurative meaning is common in formal and informal English, especially for processes, proposals, engines, and opportunities.
In journalism and historical writing, the past participle “killed” can describe a death without adding emphasis, but the formal phrase “killed in action” gives a particular account of a military death.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does killed come from?
The word comes through Middle English from an Old English verb meaning “to deprive of life” or “to kill.” It is related to other Germanic forms with comparable meanings, and its later English derivatives include killer, killing, deadly, and killjoy. The modern past-tense form killed has been established for centuries and is now used both literally and figuratively.
Related word forms
How killed is actually used
“Killed” is standard in formal and informal English. In reporting a death, it is often more neutral and direct than alternatives such as “murdered” or “assassinated,” which imply particular causes or intentions. It can also be used figuratively, though this usage may sound informal in some contexts.
Easily confused with killed
Killed is the past tense and past participle of kill, while killed can also be used as an adjective meaning made ineffective or subdued, as in “the engine was killed.”