killed it
Killed it means someone did something extremely well, like a presentation, an interview, a set or a post. It is casual, enthusiastic praise and a compliment.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X · Researched from public sources · ·
What it means
If someone tells you "you killed it", they are saying you nailed whatever you just did: the talk, the audition, the exam, the outfit, the video. Collins defines "kill it" as doing something extremely well, labels it informal, and uses "I killed it at the interview" as its example. The "it" is the thing you did, and the killing is a figure of speech for how completely you handled it. Said straight to you, it is warm and immediate, the text a friend sends as you walk offstage. Said about someone else, "she killed it" is a report that she was great. The object is what tells you whether anyone means it literally. "He killed it in the interview" is praise, and "he killed the spider" is about a spider. Its close cousin "killing me" works differently again. Dictionary.com lists "that comedian kills me" under a sense meaning to overcome with irresistible effect, which is laughter, and "these new shoes are killing me" under a sense meaning to cause distress or discomfort, which is pain. "Killed it" reports a success, and "killing me" reports a reaction. It is a compliment and it is safe to say to almost anyone, but it is casual. It fits texts, captions, sports talk, school and relaxed chat at work. In a formal review or report, "performed exceptionally well" or "exceeded expectations" carries the same praise. In hip hop and performance talk it can land harder, closer to total command of the room.
See the quick definition in the killed it dictionary entry.
How to use it
“you killed it up there!!”
Sent right after a speech or a performance. Pure praise.
“i think i killed it in the interview ngl”
Talking about yourself. It means you think it went really well.
“she killed it with that fit”
About someone else's outfit. A compliment, close to "she looked amazing".
“ok this comedian is killing me”
The cousin phrase. The speaker is laughing hard, which is a reaction to someone else's success.
Where it came from
The praise behind killed it is centuries old. The Online Etymology Dictionary dates "killing" in the sense of overpowering or fascinating to the 1630s, from kill used figuratively to mean overwhelm someone by a strong effect on the mind or senses, and dates "very powerful in effect" to 1844. An answer on English Language & Usage Stack Exchange, citing the third edition of the Dictionary of American Slang, puts kill meaning to make an audience helpless with laughter in use by 1856. That is the stage sense, where a comic who kills has the room in stitches.
No first use of the exact phrase "killed it" has been dated, and no single coiner is documented. The phrase grew out of that older family of meanings, where overwhelming an audience or a task counts as winning.
It also runs through African American English and hip hop performance talk. Azizi Powell, writing on the Pancocojams blog in June 2013, glossed "killing it" as doing something very, very well and gathered YouTube comments praising The Notorious B.I.G.'s verse on Supercat's 1993 remix of "Dolly My Baby". Powell connects the phrase's appeal there to valuing being tough, cool and in control.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
Everyday English everywhere, in person, in texts, and under posts and videos. It is not tied to a region or a platform.
It is a common phrase for English learners to look up, often after hearing it about an interview or a performance.
How it caught on
- 1630sThe Online Etymology Dictionary dates "killing" meaning overpowering, fascinating or attractive to this decade.
- 1844The Online Etymology Dictionary dates "killing" meaning very powerful in effect.
- 1856Kill meaning to make an audience helpless with laughter is in use, according to the Dictionary of American Slang, third edition, as cited on English Language & Usage Stack Exchange.
- 1993Supercat releases a remix of "Dolly My Baby" with a verse from The Notorious B.I.G., later the subject of YouTube comments saying he killed it.
- June 2013Azizi Powell's Pancocojams blog explains "killing it" as doing something very, very well in African American English.
Test yourself
Praise or not?
0/21. Your coworker messages "you killed it in that meeting". What do they mean?
2. A friend says "these shoes are killing me". Which reading fits?
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does "you killed it" mean in slang?
It means you did really well. Collins defines "kill it" as doing something extremely well, so "you killed it" after a presentation, a game or a post is a compliment.
What does "killed" mean in slang?
In praise, killed means succeeded in a big way or made a strong impression, as in "she killed that solo". Dictionary.com lists an informal sense of kill meaning to overcome completely or with irresistible effect, which is the sense behind it.
What does it mean to kill it?
To do something extremely well. People say "go kill it" before an exam or an audition, and "you killed it" afterward when it went well.
What's another way to say "killed it"?
Casual options are "crushed it", "nailed it", "smashed it" or "slayed", and "ate" works for a look or a performance. For work, "you did an excellent job" or "that exceeded expectations" says the same thing formally.
Is "you killed it" a compliment?
Yes, a strong one. It is informal, so it suits friends, classmates and relaxed coworkers better than a formal review. Only an obviously sarcastic tone turns it into a dig.
Does "killed it" mean the same as "killing me"?
They are related but different. "Killed it" reports that someone succeeded. "That comedian is killing me" means you are laughing hard, and "these shoes are killing me" means they hurt, the two informal senses Dictionary.com lists.
The Online Etymology Dictionary dates "killing" in the sense of overpowering or fascinating to the 1630s, so the praise behind killed it is nearly 400 years old.
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/kill-it
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/kill
- https://www.etymonline.com/word/kill
- https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/85654/how-did-kill-get-its-positive-connotations
- https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/131969/the-origin-of-killing-it
- https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-killing-it-means-how-it-got-those.html
- https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/n9io6b/killed_it/
Get the weekly decode
Get this week's list as soon as you confirm: what Gen Z is actually saying, what moved up or down, and the new terms that are not in the dictionary yet. A fresh one every week after that.