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Glite Dictionary
to kill for

to kill for

55 7.3
To want something very much
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
: matar por
  • I would kill for that.
  • people would kill for
  • kill for food
  • kill for a job

I wouldn't what I would, I would always kill for the single occupant bathroom.

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Examples

Synonyms

to want
vsto kill for
∞ 1.0

To wish to have or do something

conveys stronger intensity and emphasis than a simple wish
to like
vsto kill for
∞ 1.0

To want something, often as a polite request

is far stronger and expresses eagerness rather than mild preference
to die
vsto kill for
  • Informal
343 7.9

To want something very much

is more about emphatic wanting than deep emotional yearning
to desire
vsto kill for
283 1.6

To want something very much

is a more emphatic, often colloquial expression of strong wishing
to gag for it
vsto kill for
  • Slang
1 9.9

To want something very much

is used more widely beyond regional informal speech

Antonyms

dislike
  • Texting
50 1.0

A feeling of not liking someone or something

How Desirable

to crave
154 3.8
to kill for
  • Informal
55 7.3
want
69 1.0
wish
779 1.0

Surface Forms

kill for infinitive
killed for past
killed for past participle
killing for present participle
kills for third person singular

Morphology

kill + for

The verb 'kill' is used here hyperbolically and the preposition 'for' retains no compositional role that would signal intense desire; the overall meaning 'want something very much' is an idiomatic, non-literal extension rather than a predictable combination of the parts. This figurative, culture-dependent use is unlikely to be derived by a B1 learner who only knows the literal meanings of 'kill' and 'for'.

Etymology

Kill for may come from a strong image: imagine wanting something so badly you would even kill for it. That's why it means 'to want something very much'.