kill off

絶滅させる、全滅させる

ある生物の集団の全部または大部分を死なせること。

やさしい英語で： To cause all or most members of a group of living things to die.

• The spray killed off the insects.
• Hunting killed off the island’s largest birds.
• Will this treatment kill off all the bacteria?

使い方： kill something off (The disease killed most of the fish off.)

類義語： wipe out, exterminate

よく使う表現： kill off insects, kill off a species

登場人物を死なせる

作者が登場人物を物語から退場させるために死なせること。

やさしい英語で： For a writer, to make a character die so they no longer appear in the story.

• They killed off my favourite character.
• The author killed her hero off halfway through the book.
• Will the producers kill off another character this season?

使い方： kill someone off (The writers killed the detective off in the finale.)

よく使う表現： kill off a character, kill off someone

終わらせる、なくす

何かをやめさせたり、続かないようにしたりすること。

やさしい英語で： To make something stop happening or prevent it from continuing.

• The delay killed off our plans.
• Higher prices have killed off demand for these products.
• Will the new rules kill off small businesses?

使い方： kill something off (The cuts killed the project off before it started.)

類義語： end, destroy, put an end to

よく使う表現： kill off competition, kill off a project