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murder mystery

murder mystery

17 3.0
A story or film about a murder and finding who did it
  • noun
  • /ˈmɜrdər ˈmɪstəri/
translation icon : misterio de asesinato
  • The film revolves around Sandler and Aniston, a married couple that get caught up in a murder mystery on a billionaire's yacht.

And that's why, you know, mysteries and, you know, crime stories, murder mysteries, all of that.

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Examples

  • Also, Nancy has written a couple of decent murder mystery novels that are actually quite entertaining.

    Blog text (34)
  • My suggestion is that it be viewed as a murder mystery using the final week as the basis.

    Blog text (3)
  • This is one of those murder mystery parties.

  • It's a murder mystery party.

  • Welcome to the art of the murder mystery.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • But what's interesting with it is that it's a cozy murder mystery in the UK small town.

  • Tabitha was a great fan of murder mysteries.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • One of the more popular kinds of murder mysteries is what's often called the country-house or country-manor story.

    Blog text (27)
  • The novel is an engaging murder mystery that keeps readers guessing until the final chapter.

  • At the party, everyone enjoyed solving the clues in the fun murder mystery game.

Synonyms

mystery
vsmurder mystery
137 3.2

A book, play, or film about solving a crime, often a murder

is specifically about a killing and finding who did it
whodunit
vsmurder mystery
11 7.7

A story about finding who committed a crime, often a murder

tells a story about a killing and the steps to discover the culprit
detective story
vsmurder mystery
  • Literature
7 2.4

A story about a person who solves a crime by following clues

focuses on a killing and the steps to discover who did it
mystery novel
vsmurder mystery
7 2.8

A book about a crime or puzzle that the reader tries to solve

focuses on a killing and the process of identifying the culprit
mystery story
vsmurder mystery
3 2.4

A book, play, or film about solving a crime, often a murder

focuses specifically on a killing and finding who committed it

How Suspenseful

thriller
97 3.0
murder mystery
17 3.0
detective story
  • Literature
7 2.4
cozy evening
  • US
1 1.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

murder + mystery

The meaning 'a story or film about a murder and the process of finding out who committed it' is directly derivable from combining 'murder' (an unlawful killing) with 'mystery' (a detective story). This straightforward noun+noun composition mirrors common patterns in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the expression.

Etymology

Murder mystery is a story where a murder (someone is killed) becomes a mystery (a puzzle to solve). Picture a detective finding clues and asking 'who did it?' and you see why it means 'a story or film about a murder and the search for the killer'.