Dictionary

assassinate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /əˈsæsɪneɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əˈsæs(ə)nˌeɪt/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From assassin + -ate, after Middle French assassiner.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To murder someone, especially an important person, by a sudden or obscure attack, especially for ideological or political reasons.
   • The Assassines, a nation depending of Phœnicia, are esteemed among the Mahometists[…]. And thus was our Earle Raymond of Tripoli murthered or assassinated (this word is borrowed from their name) in the middest of his Citie, during the time of our warres in the holy land[…]. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Vertue”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 408:
   • A Korean Communist selected as a vice chairman of the government for north Korea in the Russian occupied zone was assassinated as he was leaving a conference with Col. Gen. Chistjakoff, commander of the soviet 25th army, a Korean refugee said today. 1945 September 14 [1945 September 12], “North Korean Leader Slain in Reign of Terror”, in Chicago Daily Tribune, volume CIV, number 221, page 3, column 5:
2. (figuratively) To harm, ruin, or defame severely or destroy by treachery, slander, libel, or obscure attack.
   • Such uſage as your honourable Lords / Afford me aſſaſſinated and betray'd, […] 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 67:
   • But vvhen your Rhimes aſſaſſinate our Fame, / You hug your nauſeous, blund'ring Ballad-vvits, / And pay 'em as if Nonſence vvere a merit, / If it can mean but Treaſon. 1682 December 15 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John] Dryden, [Nathaniel] Lee, The Duke of Guise. A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for R[ichard] Bentley […], and J[acob] Tonson […], published 1683, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 62:
   • He assassinated his rival's character.

Forms

Deriveds

character-assassinate · assassinator · assassinatee · unassassinated · assassinative · assassinatrix

Relateds

assassination · assassin

Synonyms

calumniate · blacken · slay · demolish · vilipend · destroy · mortify · take down · dust · badmouth · cloud · knock off · dash · pick off · wreck · disgrace · deprave · cack · forgab · send to eternity · eliminate · asperse · bewray · compromised to a permanent end · finish · take · chat shite · defame · libel · denigrate · take out · smear · erase · bury · baptize · ruin · dead · smash · blame · make away with · dirty · villainize · exterminate · scuttle · finish off · spatter · send to the grave · diss · calumny · blur · put someone out of their misery · obliterate · crush · whack · depreciate · shit-talk · revile · put an end to · infamize · off · discredit · smirch · flatten · vilify · denigrate · demonize · scandal · take care of · send to hell · wrong · traduce · terminate with extreme prejudice · stiff · disparage · blemish · scotch · do · detract · squash · monsterize · reproach · smite · wet · ex · disrepute · backbite · torpedo · put down · end · merc · bring down · malign · wax · waste · wipe out · unflatter · shut up · talk shit · snuff · bag · pop off · stain · blot · dispose of · slag · besmirch · put six feet under · neutralize · foul · bereave of life · drag through the mud · slaughter · slander · spot · send to the great beyond · tarnish · forspeak · slime out · speak ill of · polish off · hit · besmear · send to the next life · trash-talk · talk shite · bump off · croak · grease · belibel · stab · punch someone's ticket · murder · torch · lay waste to · terminate · muddy · assassinate · befoul · top off · pay off · top · chat shit · dispatch · do in · rub out · put to sleep · stop someone's clock · blight · deactivate · annihilate · besmirch · talk trash · ravage · scupper · lampoon · sully · eradicate · traduce · blaze

Translations (48)

he התנקש (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · io asasinar (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · it assassinare (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · fr assassiner (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ru убива́ть (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · tr öldürmek (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · da myrde (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ca assassinar (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · de meucheln (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · sh smàknuti (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ar اِغْتَالَ (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ga feallmharaigh (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · es asesinar (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ro asasina (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · vi ám sát (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · el εκτελώ (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ja 暗殺する (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · la per īnsidiās interficiō (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · nl vermoorden (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · sh сма̀кнути (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ru уби́ть (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · be забіва́ць (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · cy bradlofruddio (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · oc assassinar (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · bg умъртвявам (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · hy սպանել (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · be забі́ць (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · st bolaya (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · bg убивам (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · da snigmyrde (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · eo murdi (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · de ermorden (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · th ลอบสังหาร (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · pt assassinar (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · af vermoor (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · cs zavraždit (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · fi murhata (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · sv lönnmörda (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · et mõrvama (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · th ลอบฆ่า (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · la necō (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · cmn 暗殺 /暗杀 (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · tl linguhin (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · la assassīnō (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · ko 암살(暗殺)하다 (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · de liquidieren (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · cmn 刺殺 /刺杀 (to murder by sudden or obscure attack) · de Meuchelmord begehen (to murder by sudden or obscure attack)

assassinate en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /əˈsæsɪneɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əˈsæs(ə)nˌeɪt/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From assassin + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) Assassination, murder.
   • Mor. Why? if I had made an assassinate upon your Father; vitiated your Mother: ravished your Sisters― Tru. I would kill you, Sir, I would kill you, if you had. Mor. Why? you do more in this, Sir: it were a vengeance centuple, for all facinorous Acts, that could be nam'd, to do that you do.
2. (obsolete) An assassin.
   • Yet again, many of them deſperat hairebraines, raſh, careleſſe, fit to be Aſſaſinates, as being voide of all Feare and Sorrow […] 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Symptomes of the minde”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 3, member 1, subsection 2, page 164:

Forms

Relateds

murder · regicide