ฆาตกร

Explanation

This is a standard word in crime reporting and murder mysteries. It sounds somewhat formal but is also used in conversation. It does not by itself imply a serial killer or someone who kills with exceptional cruelty. Use the classifier คน when counting people: ฆาตกรสองคน means “two murderers,” and ฆาตกรคนนี้ means “this murderer.”

Usage

Use it when discussing the search for or arrest of a murderer, or the identity of the killer in a mystery novel or crime drama.

Caution

Distinguish ฆ่า, the verb “to kill,” and ฆาตกรรม, “murder,” from ฆาตกร, the person who commits it. It is not a general label for anyone who causes an accidental death. Unlike ผู้ต้องสงสัย (“suspect”), calling someone a ฆาตกร asserts that they committed murder.

1 murderer synonyms

• นักฆ่า

  นักฆ่า usually means an assassin or a professional killer, emphasizing killing as a job or mission. ฆาตกร identifies someone as a murderer, regardless of their occupation or motive.