How to say "killer" in Japanese

• キラーCommon
  nounA common loanword for the figurative killer: a person or thing that destroys, annihilates, or defeats a particular opponent or target, as in sports and games. Not the word for an actual murderer.
• 殺人者さつじんしゃ
  nounThe direct word for a killer in the literal sense: a person who has committed murder. Though less common, it is what you want when 'killer' means a murderer.
  その殺人者さつじんしゃの正体しょうたいは手掛てがかりがまったくなかった。↗

  There was no clue as to the identity of the murderer.
• 殺害者さつがいしゃ
  nounRefers to a person who has killed someone, with much the same sense as 殺人者; it is likewise less common, and either word covers the murderer sense of 'killer'.
• 殺しごろし
  suffixOn its own this noun means 'killing'; for 'killer' it works mainly in compounds meaning 'killer of ...', so it is seldom the standalone word you want.

Use 「キラー」 for the figurative killer that destroys or defeats something, 殺人者 or 殺害者 for a person who has killed someone, and 「殺し」 mainly in compounds meaning 'killing' or 'killer of ...'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• キラーkiller
• 殺人者さつじんしゃkiller
• 殺害者さつがいしゃmurderer
• 殺しごろし-cide