English Reference
Adjective

homicidal

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˌhɑməˈsaɪdəɫ/ UK /hˌɒmɪsˈaɪdəl/ homi·ci·dal

adj.describing someone who wants to kill another person. It is often used to talk about a person's mental state or a very dangerous situation.

adj.relating to or involving the killing of another person. Often used in a psychological or forensic context to describe a person's intent or a specific mental state.


SIMPLE

The police are looking for a homicidal man who fled the scene.

CONTEXTUAL

The psychiatrist evaluated the suspect to determine if he was homicidal or acting in a moment of panic.

COMPLEX

The novel explores the thin line between homicidal intent and a temporary loss of self-control during a period of extreme emotional distress.

Instead, it had only a single homicidal agenda: to kill as many Jews as possible and to destroy the state of Israel.

Toronto Sun· 23 Aug 2026

From homicide + -al.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated