murdered

murdered — verb

1. to kill another person deliberately and illegally, which is a serious crime.

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to kill another person deliberately and illegally, which is a serious crime.

例句

A truck driver was arrested for murdering a pedestrian in a planned attack.

transitive: murder + direct object [person]

The documentary examines what drives an ordinary person to murder a stranger.

同義詞
  • kill

    much broader; covers accidents, self-defence, and animal death; not inherently criminal

  • assassinate

    murder of a well-known figure (politician, activist) for political reasons

  • slay

    formal or literary; often used in epic or fantasy contexts

反義詞
  • save

    to rescue someone from death

  • protect

    to keep someone safe from harm

文法句型

murder + [person]

be murdered by [person]

murder [person] for [reason]

用法筆記

The direct object of 'murder' in this sense must be a person — never an animal. The verb always carries a legal meaning of unlawful intent, unlike the more general 'kill'.

常見錯誤

❌He murdered a mosquito in the kitchen.
✅He killed a mosquito in the kitchen.
💡'murder' applies only to people, never to animals or insects.
❌The soldier murdered twenty enemy fighters in battle.
✅The soldier killed twenty enemy fighters in battle.
💡killing in war is not legally classified as murder.

2. to say in an exaggerated way that you are extremely angry at someone, without an

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to say in an exaggerated way that you are extremely angry at someone, without any real intention of harming them.

例句

If my brother borrows my car one more time without asking, I could murder him.

structure: 'could murder' for exaggerated anger

When Liam saw the scratch on his new laptop, he said he could murder someone.

同義詞
  • kill

    used in the same hyperbolic pattern: 'I could kill him!' — identical in function, slightly more common

文法句型

could murder + [someone]

I could murder [someone] for [reason]

用法筆記

Almost always appears with the modal 'could' (or occasionally 'will') in the first conditional pattern. The speaker is exaggerating irritation, not expressing a real threat. Common in British and American informal speech.

常見錯誤

❌I will murder you for breaking my phone.' (sounds like a genuine threat in police context)
✅I could murder the person who broke my phone.
💡'could' signals exaggeration; 'will' sounds literal and threatening.

3. to perform or create something so poorly that you completely spoil it — used abo

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to perform or create something so poorly that you completely spoil it — used about songs, plays, recipes, or other creative works.

例句

The band completely murdered that classic song at the concert last night.

informal: 'murder' + song for a terrible performance

Zayd tried to cook a traditional dish but ended up murdering the recipe.

同義詞
  • ruin

    neutral register; does not carry the dramatic impact of 'murder'

  • botch

    implies clumsy execution; less emotional than 'murder'

  • butcher

    equally strong and figurative; 'the singer butchered the song'

反義詞
  • master

    to perform something skilfully and perfectly

文法句型

murder + [song/play/recipe/performance]

murder + [creative work]

用法筆記

The object is usually a creative work — a song, play, piece of writing, or recipe — not a physical object. Frequently used in informal criticism of performances or amateur attempts.

常見錯誤

❌I murdered my steak by overcooking it.' (technically correct but ambiguous — could sound literal)
✅He murdered the national anthem at the ceremony.
💡the context of performance makes the figurative meaning clear.