killing field
C1/C2Formal, journalistic, historical, figurative
Definition
Meaning
A place where large numbers of people have been killed, especially in a massacre or genocide.
Any location or situation characterized by widespread death, destruction, or catastrophic failure; metaphorically used for contexts where many entities (e.g., businesses, projects) fail rapidly.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strongly associated with historical atrocities (especially the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge). Carries heavy emotional weight and connotations of systematic, brutal slaughter. Often used metaphorically in modern contexts to describe areas of extreme danger or failure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in both varieties; the term is understood primarily through its historical and journalistic context.
Connotations
Universally evokes images of mass graves, genocide, and human rights atrocities. The metaphorical use is slightly more common in American business/political journalism.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech; appears primarily in historical, political, or investigative contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [PLACE] became a killing field.[EVENT] turned the area into a killing field.They survived the killing fields of [LOCATION].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The boardroom became a killing field for new proposals.”
- “That intersection is a killing field for cyclists.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphor for a highly competitive market where many companies fail (e.g., 'The smartphone market is a killing field for new brands').
Academic
Used in historical, political science, and genocide studies to describe specific geographical sites of mass execution.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation; if used, it's typically in a figurative, hyperbolic sense (e.g., 'The school playground was a killing field after the lunch bell').
Technical
Used in forensic archaeology and human rights investigations to designate sites requiring excavation and evidence collection.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The archaeological team began excavating the killing field.
- The documentary examined the legacy of that terrible killing field.
American English
- The region was transformed into a killing field during the conflict.
- Investors described the tech startup scene as a killing field.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The history book had a photo of a killing field.
- It was a very sad place.
- The journalist reported from the former killing field, now a memorial site.
- Metaphorically, the stock market crash turned the trading floor into a killing field.
- The tribunal sought to establish the chain of command that led to the creation of those killing fields.
- His research focuses on the politicisation of memory surrounding identified killing fields in post-conflict societies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FIELD where the only crop is death (killing). The phrase 'killing field' is stark and literal—a field associated with killing.
Conceptual Metaphor
A LOCATION IS A SITE OF MASS DEATH; A COMPETITIVE SPACE IS A BATTLEFIELD WITH MANY CASUALTIES.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation like 'убивающее поле' which is nonsensical. The correct equivalent is 'поле смерти' or 'место массовой расправы'. The term is a fixed historical phrase.
Common Mistakes
- Using it lightly for minor disputes (hyperbole).
- Confusing it with 'battlefield' (which implies armed combat between sides).
- Misspelling as 'killing fields' (singular vs. plural depends on context).
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, 'killing field' is most likely used to describe:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It gained global prominence from the 1984 film 'The Killing Fields', which depicted the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979), where thousands were executed and buried in mass graves.
It can be considered insensitive or trivialising if used for trivial subjects, due to its direct association with real human atrocities. Careful contextual judgement is required.
A 'battlefield' implies a site of armed combat between military forces. A 'killing field' specifically denotes a site where unarmed or defenseless people are systematically executed, often civilians.
Not necessarily. The singular ('a killing field') refers to a specific location. The plural ('the killing fields') often refers collectively to the many such sites of an atrocity, or is used as a proper noun referencing the Cambodian genocide specifically.