As a noun, a killing is the act of causing someone’s death, often on purpose. Informally, it can also mean earning a lot of money very quickly, as in “make a killing.” As an adjective, it can describe something extremely tiring, like a “killing schedule.”
From the verb “kill” plus the noun-forming ending “-ing”. The money sense developed figuratively, comparing big financial success to a powerful, sudden event.
It’s striking that the same word is used for taking a life and making a lot of money. That metaphor hints at how aggressive business competition can feel. Language sometimes reveals the hidden violence in our everyday systems.
Public narratives about 'killings' have often underplayed patterns of gender-based violence, treating them as private or isolated incidents rather than systemic issues. Gender and race together shape whose deaths are reported, investigated, and mourned publicly.
Use 'killing' with clear context, and avoid jokes or casual metaphors that make light of lethal violence, especially in gendered contexts.
["homicide","lethal violence","cause of death"]
Feminist and human-rights advocates have worked to name and track gender-related killings, such as femicide, to drive policy change.
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