1.
massacre; killing everyone; annihilation
The act of killing every member of a group without exception. Used in historical, literary, and dramatic contexts.
村人は皆殺しにされた。
The villagers were all massacred.
敵を皆殺しにしろという命令が下った。
An order came down to kill every last enemy.
その映画は、ある一族が皆殺しにされる復讐劇だ。
The movie is a revenge story where an entire clan is massacred.
皆殺し is a strong, graphic word meaning the killing of every member of a group. It is composed of 皆 (everyone) + 殺し (killing).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 皆殺しにする: to massacre, to kill everyone
- 皆殺しにされる: to be massacred
- 皆殺しにあう: to be subjected to a massacre
CONTEXT:
Primarily appears in historical accounts, war narratives, fiction, and dramatic stories. Rarely used in everyday conversation. Often describes events in feudal Japan, wartime atrocities, or action/revenge fiction.
RELATED TERMS:
- 虐殺: massacre, slaughter (more formal/academic)
- 大量殺人: mass killing
- 全滅: annihilation, total destruction (broader — includes non-lethal defeat)