# killer

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɪlə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #3,176

## Definitions
1. One who or that which kills.
2. That which causes stress or is extremely difficult, especially that which may cause failure at a task.
3. Something that is so far ahead of its competition that it effectively kills off that competition.
4. A remarkably impressive person or thing.
5. A knockout form of darts or pool involving several players.
6. Ellipsis of killer whale.
7. A club used for killing fish.
8. A particularly heavy type of handstamp, or portion of one, often obscuring a large part of the postage stamp.
9. Synonym of virama (“kind of diacritical mark”).

## Etymology
From Middle English killer, kyller. By surface analysis, kill + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **kills** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/killer-vs-kills)
- **kinder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/killer-vs-kinder)
- **Kohler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/killer-vs-kohler)
- **kisser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/killer-vs-kisser)
- **Kimber** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/killer-vs-kimber)
- **kill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kill-vs-killer)
- **killed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/killed-vs-killer)
- **Keller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keller-vs-killer)
- **kicker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kicker-vs-killer)
- **Kiefer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiefer-vs-killer)
- **keeler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keeler-vs-killer)
- **kidder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kidder-vs-killer)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ikller`, `kilelr`, `kiler`, `killerr`, `killre`, `kkiller`, `kliler`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/killer