ENGLISH
REFERENCE

murdering

n. · v.
US //ˈmɝdɝɪŋ// UK //mˈɜːdəɹɪŋ// mur·der·ing
  1. 1 the crime of murder (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Law

    the crime or act of killing someone.

    the gerund form used as a noun to describe the commission of homicide.

    Example

    He was sent to prison for the murdering of three innocent people.

    Example

    The documentary explores the psychological motives behind the murdering of political figures during the revolution.

    Usage

    Often used with the definite article 'the' and followed by 'of'.
  2. 2 doing something badly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Humorous

    to perform a song, a language, or a task very badly.

    to spoil or ruin something through poor execution or lack of skill.

    Example

    I like singing, but I am definitely murdering this song right now.

    Example

    The amateur actor was completely murdering his lines, much to the frustration of the director and the rest of the cast.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a common figurative use in spoken English to describe lack of talent rather than actual violence.
Word family

© 2026 English Reference