ermorden
murder
Jemanden absichtlich töten, oft aus Hass, Gier oder einem anderen schlimmen Grund.
Definition & meaning
The verb ermorden means to murder or assassinate someone. It describes the act of intentionally and unlawfully killing another human being, typically with premeditation or malice. While the more general verb töten simply means "to kill" (which can include accidents or animals), ermorden is specifically used for the criminal act of homicide against a person.
Grammar & Word origin
Grammatically, ermorden is a regular (weak) transitive verb. Its principal parts are ermordet (present), ermordete (past), and hat ermordet (perfect).
The word is composed of two parts:
- The prefix er-, which in this context functions as an resultative prefix, indicating that the action is carried out to its completion or final state (in this case, death).
- The root morden, which is derived from the noun Mord (murder).
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- umbringen (to kill/slay - more colloquial)
- töten (to kill - more general)
- liquidieren (to liquidate - often used in political or organized crime contexts)
- meucheln (to assassinate or kill treacherously)
- hinrichten (to execute - specifically by legal or state authority)
Antonyms:
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Examples
Sie ermitteln, weil jemand ermordet wurde.verb
They are investigating because someone was murdered.
Die Polizei versucht zu klären, wer den Geschäftsmann ermordet hat.verb
The police are trying to figure out who murdered the businessman.
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