Dream Symbols

Killing Dream Meaning

killing dream meaning
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Having a dream about killing someone or someone being killed can be scary. Understanding what this dream means can help you make the changes necessary in your life to start living the life you want to live.

Learning how to effectively understand your dreams can not only help you improve your life greatly – it can also help you no longer have scary and troubling dreams.

Important! Dreaming of killing someone NEVER means you should kill a person in real life. If you have real life thoughts of harming yourself or others, it is important to seek the help of a professional. There are many better alternatives to solve any problems you may be experiencing!

What Does it Mean to Dream of Killing Someone?

killing dream meaning

Murder and killing in dreams is often closely related to dreams of death and dying.

Most times, nightmares that involve a violent type of crime in a dream means that feelings have become overwhelming or have gone ignored for too long. It has escalated to this point to get your attention.

Fortunately, very rarely do these kinds of dreams predict the future. Most often, a dream of death, dying or being killed is related to needing to make a change.

A Fear of Change and Transformation

We as humans are often afraid of changes we need to make, and this can manifest in our dreams as killing, as it is scary to think about making necessary changes just as it is scary to dream about someone dying.

Think carefully about your current waking life: are you afraid of making changes? Are you considering something new or different? This dream can help you understand a transformation that is underway and help you release your fears and concerns about moving forward with a change.

Feeling Lost and Confused

Most of us know that killing someone is wrong, not only is it illegal, but it also is morally objectionable. Dreaming of killing a person can mean that you are feeling lost and confused about your own moral viewpoints.

Many things in life are often a “double-edged” sword, meaning something can have both good and bad outcomes. You might get one thing you want, but have to sacrifice something else.

You may have mixed feelings about this conflict in your life, and this appears in your dream as a means to express wanting to change or end things but not being certain which choice is best.

Power Struggles and a Loss of Control

Have you ever heard the phrase, “kill-switch”? This is a complete loss of power, usually to an electrical device. Cutting off the power causes the machine to no longer work.

When you dream of someone hurting you or chasing you to kill you, it can mean that you are feeling powerless and out of control in a situation. If you dream that you are physically ending someone or something, it can mean that you are struggling to gain power in your own everyday waking life.

Endings and Resolution

While the events in our lives are not entirely like a movie, all good stories must ultimately come to an end. Dreaming of killing someone or being killed in a dream could mean you are coming to the acceptance period of something coming to an end.

You may be changing careers or ending a relationship. This dream does not mean you physically or literally kill something, but you are coming to acceptance to the closure and end of something in your everyday waking life.

Common Killing Dream Examples and Interpretation

Now that we’ve talked about some of the common themes we see in these dreams, let’s explore some possible dream scenarios and the interpretations.

Dreaming of Killing Someone You Know

If you dream that you are killing someone you personally know, this can mean one of two things. Either that person symbolizes a part of your own personality, or it can be a symbol for an aspect of your relationship with that person.

People in our dreams are not always what they may seem – so it is important to know if you have a dream where you have killed someone you know you care about in real life that it is not necessarily a sign that you subconsciously hate that person.

It can be helpful to think about the different personality traits and personal associations you may have of this person. Write down 5 words that describe that person – whatever the first 5 words that come to mind might be.

This will give you some clues into what you may not like about your own personality or behavior or give you some insight into your relationship with the person.

Dreaming About Killing Someone you Don’t Know

If you are killing a character in your dream that you do not recognize this is a strong indicator that your subconscious is trying to tell you that you need to change an aspect of your personality. It could also mean you need to stop a behavior you are doing.

Dreaming Someone is Trying to Kill Me

These dreams are very terrifying to have, and can be difficult to understand. Often times a dream like this means you are afraid of someone’s motivations in your life. For example, maybe you have a co-worker who is trying to use you at work. Perhaps you know someone who is either physically or verbally abusive towards you.

If you dream someone is trying to kill you it can also mean that you are experiencing anger or hostility from another person in waking life. This is a common dream to have after a heated argument or if you have stopped talking to a person in real life.

It can also be helpful to explore the related dream symbol being trapped in a dream as well as what it means to be chased in a dream, as these related themes may provide additional insight on what this dream means for you.


If Your Dreams Scare You, Don’t Be Afraid to Get Help

Nightmares can be scary. Learning how to understand nightmares can help you overcome these troubling dreams and get past difficult situations in your life.

It’s also important to talk to a professional if you feel overwhelmed or worried about your dreams. Often times there is much help and support out there if you are willing to seek the help.


Have you had any dreams where someone was killed? What were your thoughts? How did the dream relate to your waking life?

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51 Comments

  1. I had a dream that I was with my family when we heard about a new murder, I got so scared I grabbed an axe and killed someone outside because I was afraid that we could have died turns out I killed the murder. Still, I was so scared that when I woke up at 3 am I could not go back to sleep for the whole night because I was shocked that I actually killed someone even if I saved a bunch of people.

  2. Today,
    I saw a dream, where I was with a friend in a black GMC SUV , as I don’t know what we were arguing about but we were arguing, then all of a sudden we were surrounded by guys with all black dress, they had black mask on their face. Then one of them started talking then all of a sudden he pointed gun at my friend heads and pulled the trigger, as I saw his brain blow out it was instant death, then all of the guys pulled out gun there were like 8- 10 people all surrounding the vehicle. Then they started showring the car with bullets, I ducked down as I was being hit with the bullets, I felt them they were in my back front. Then they stopped then one of the guy came close looked through the window and talked to me but I couldn’t hear him as I was bleeding out, then he pulled his gun and pointed at my left side of stomach and was about to pull the trigger, as I saw him pulling the trigger as he pulled it I woke up.

  3. Today I had dream of my loved one being killed while I was chatting with other friends. He was sitting near a window and someone shot him back of his head. We didn’t hear the shot. However that person came after us to kill us. I shouted at my boyfriend to wake up and run. That’s when I realized of him being shot and dead. I froze and my another friend dragged me out of that place.
    We all went to bus parked outside and drove it to main road however another bus tried to kill us and it was too close to collide. We got saved and same thing happened another time. We got saved again. I went to check back of the bus and found 2 unknown men in the bus. One of the men was about to attack and I yelled my friend to open the back door. I pushed him out of the running bus. That’s where I woke up. Since then, I am too much disturbed. What this whole dream was trying to say !

  4. In my dream, I saved a child who was being bullied. I hid him in my cousin’s house so that the bully won’t find him. My cousin even helped me hiding him. Later on, the bully entered my cousin’s house, I confronted him and we eventually settled the issue. However, the scene changed, it became more like survival in a zombie apocalypse. I had different people with me, we went down to the forest trying to avoid zombies and find a shelter but the setting transitioned to the upper floor of our house. I was the one in front, as I walk down the stairs, an infected man attacked me, so I fought and slashed his throat. Then the scene became chaotic, I looked around and I saw the door was opened, letting infected people enter. But as I get a closer look at them, they were the child that I saved, his bully, and other classmates. I vividly saw how their eyes were adjusting, trying to find prey. The first one who attacked me was the bully, and he got killed by me. I went to the child I saved, together with other kids, and slashed their throat at one jab…….. I don’t know how did I do that… I, later on, felt the regret of killing the child I saved. He didn’t even attack me, I just killed him right away. As the blood flows out of his neck, he said something about the mail he sent. I don’t remember to whom, all I can feel that time was pain. He was slightly smiling, trying to reassure me that he’s not blaming me for what happened… then I woke up with tears.

    Would like to know your thoughts and interpretation about my dream. Thank you!

  5. I had a dream that my husband was going to cheat on me when I leave for my 2 week vacation and that he hired an assassin to take me out. Well I ended up in a stadium playing an instrument and when my face came to light the announcer said “let the real assassin show themself” and it turned out to be my aunt

  6. I had a nightmare just now and I was going home, it didn’t look like my actual home but was supposed to represent it and a stranger was walking in front of me. Strange enough, he was going in the same direction as me and even went inside the building where I live. He then walked up the stairs as I also started doing that but I quietly stopped for a moment and then realized he went to my apartment so I hid in a tiny closet. But I think someone else or maybe the same person was suddenly with me inside the closet behind me. Then everything suddenly was rushed and the stranger from before was I think a kid now and he was trying to kill me but with the intention I think of me trying to kill him so I shot him multiple times and then I heard a bomb go off in the distance so the kid covered me to catch all the debris so he died. But then a bit later, I was able to see myself lying on the ground, dead but together with him. It was as if I was now in the body of a detective or csi or something who was dealing with these killed people and looking at me.

  7. I had two dreams about being chased and killed. The first one was a random stranger who tried to kill me in order to get my Permanent Resident Visa (I know it’s ridiculous). The second one was being chased & killed by a deceased family member. She passed quite long ago, and I distinctly remember I had no special memories of her as we’re not that close. The latter one was quite violent, as the killer tried to chase me down with a saw and broke into my hiding. Eventually, I succeeded to escape, yet when I arrive at my house, my family acted like it was not a big deal.

    Does anyone know the nearest interpretation about my dreams? Would really like to hear your thoughts, as the latter one is quite disturbing for me. Thank you!

  8. I had two dreams about being chased and killed. The first one was a random stranger who tried to kill me in order to get my Permanent Resident Visa (I know it’s ridiculous). The second one was being chased & killed by a deceased family member. She passed quite long ago, and I distinctly remember I had no special memories of her as we’re not that close. The latter one was quite violent, as the killer tried to chase me down with a saw and broke into my hiding. Eventually, I succeeded to escape, yet when I arrive at my house, my family acted like it was not a big deal.

    Does anyone know the nearest interpretation about my dreams? Would really like to hear your thoughts, as the latter one is quite disturbing for me. Thank you!

  9. I had a dream Greg from Malcolm in the middle was in class with me and I said something he didn’t like. This fat dude came over all big and tough to knocked my stuff off my desk and then went out in the hall. So i figure oh we about to throw hands over this Greg! So I’m beating him up having a good time because he’s absolutely no challenge at all whatsoever, but he just wouldn’t get rid of this stupid look on his face. So I say alright Greg you’re going to die and I start choking him. Well a few seconds into that I back off because I don’t wanna leave no choke marks. So I kid you not, I pull this whole dude’s stomach over his head and start suffocating him with it. Ive never killed anyone in a dream before, but it has caused me to think no more McDonald’s before bed.

  10. I had a dreamed where I was being mindcontrolled from eating a “poisoned” hot dog, and I choked my 1 year old niece to death then I scratched and ripped her apart, then I ate her. I don’t know what this means, I love my niece so much and would protect her from at all costs, WHY!!?!??!!??!?

  11. I just woke up from a dream where there was two people who were going to kill me but I manage to kill them first by slitting their throat, and after that I regret what I have done I was very scared and frightened and then called an Ambulance for an attempt to save them. What does this mean?

  12. I had a dream last night that a man was hurting children and trying to hurt my family and he was coming after myself and my family but finally to protect all of us i had my family hide and he came into the room I was in with a gun and somehow I had gotten a gun and shot him before he was able to hurt my family or me. What does this mean?

  13. Just woke from a dream where I was being abused physically by my teachers at school and also my dad tried to kill me by strangulation. It was awful.

  14. I dreamt my husband said he was going to kill me. I asked him when and he smiled and didnt answer. I asked him if it was today. No answer. So I decided that if I could scream so loud someone would hear me and rescue me I would be ok. I remember I knew it had to be the loudest scream I had ever done.

    My husband woke me from screaming. We are having no problems in our marriage at all. In fact it’s great almost 50 years.
    I am very upset about the politics now. I feel like it is all very unfair. I am angry. I feel like people are not who they portray themselves to be and are disappointing me. I feel the President has no one to trust and I cannot do anything. Can the dream be a manifestation of my frustrations?

  15. Pleas help me understand, this literally happened now as I woke up from a scary dream :
    I was driving back from a new years party and there was a chaos at a traffic light, guys fighting running over the police, fast driving etc and one guy got hit from a car and fell on my car… I stated locking my car but it was manual (mistubushi, my old one)… I said sorry to him and said I didnt hit you I’m sorry I’m sorry! I gunned it and he started running after me and said Ivana I’m sorry i saw you at the club but you didn’t give me face so I didn’t know how else to approach you I said it’s fine but just please let me go and he said I will i will, but shouldnt that guy let you go? I was like what guy? By the time I said that I started driving fast so the guy stopped running by the car (I just saw him in the rear mirror) then the guy at the back said in a very creepy voice “me” I froze. I actually saw a hand with black gloves in the mirror at the traffic light but I had no idea anyone was sitting behind me… He said just drive and don’t cause anything funny… The traffic light was a cross road in Serbia but as I was driving I came to the street opposite my compound… So I took a uturn and started driving towards my compound and phoned you secretly (which he said I wouldn’t do anything funny if I were you) and when you picked up you said love love are you there? And I hung up on you… I was passing by the building by icons and saw a growd and few security guards I stopped the car and ran out screaming he’s a crazy man he’s a crazy man please help me… I bummped into an old Asian man and ran behind them then the crazy man from my car came following me (he had a plastic bag on his face so I couldn’t recognize his face) and said something in philipinos I think and the security guard replied back (I didn’t understand) then the crazy man went into the car and picked from his seat a bazooka like thing, it was a green one and stated shooting everyone that was there, I started running but he shoot me in the back as I rolled over I was on my back and I was looking up the sky he came over with the bazooka and just smiled that’s when I woke up..

  16. I had a dream last night that three people tried to kill me and I don’t know who they are but I ended up killing them because it was me or them but the last one was very graphic she was trying to kill me so bad that even tho I stabbed her with a steak knife and was still in her chest and I was holding it to keep her away from me she was still trying to stab me so I took a small meat cleaver and stabbed her eye trying to scoop it out so she can stop fighting me and trying to kill me and she did stop and started screaming in pain and then I woke up. Anyone else have a weird dream like this and it felt like déjà vu like you dreamt something like that before but can’t remember and what does it mean.

  17. What about about when you dream that someone is killing another person in front of you ?
    I had a dream where I couldn’t stop a friend trying to kill.

  18. I had a dream that Me, my 4 cousins, my grandma and my aunt was at a store and it was night time. I got in the car to go home with my grandma and my aunt until one of my cousins came to the window screaming saying someone stabbed 2 of my cousins to death and I was the only one that got out the car my aunt and grandma just sat there with no tears or nothing. So I got out the car and hurried to the car they was in and they were both dead. Me and my last 2 cousins went in the store. No Police came. And one of my cousins that just got killed was calling my living cousins but when she answered it it was my aunt and she asked my cousins why she was crying and she said “Well your daughter was stabbed to death” and my aunt was just like “Oh, ok” and Like I thought she was being very sus to have her phone and to not cry over your youngest daughter and then I asked my cousin to play a game on her phone and she said no and then I woke up. It was Strange cause I never got hold to my other cousin mother and my grandma and aunt being sus

  19. I had a dream where my friends wanted to kill this person I felt I was connected to though can’t remember his face.i tried to stop it and tried begging them to take me instead.itvwas so personal and when I woke up was so low had this feeling that something is not right

  20. Ok so, I had a dream about where I was at my mom’s place and I was home alone. Two people came in (Male and female) claiming that I was their kid, it freaked me out and suddenly I had a knife and stabbed them repeatedly. Then I hid the body in the guest room closet. Couple days later, I wanted to confess to someone about it. So, I told my mom. She claimed that I was a liar. That’s when I woke up.

  21. Did you know the people? If not it could mean you feel trapped with no way out, and your struggling to help yourself

  22. I had a dream that my momma husband had kid me her and my sisters then I woke up out my sleep scared and afraid then in the afternoon I told my momma she started laughing I thought it wasn’t funny and it hurt my feelings

  23. I dreamt I had got into an argument with a woman I’ve never met or seen before. We were visiting at a mutual friends house when she said or did something that angered me I can’t remember exactly what it was but I proceeded to beat her until her face and head spilled blood heavily. She got up and I continued to beat her and then left on the run. Her friends ran around looking for me to put me in jail, I didn’t realize i had actually killed this woman until after the police caught me and said I would be charged with murder.

  24. I was dreamt that i was in a road n someone came and he try to touch my body part and i resist.. Just then he takes a spary bottle and intended to kill.. As i was talking in dream that i was the only girl child fr my family then i saw that i was murdered.. My body has beside me..
    It felt so scary..
    The public on the road like statues they didn’t react if a crime was happening infront of u..
    Then i intended to get up..
    All is a dream..
    Why such dreams comes?

  25. I lucid dream on a regular basis however I tend have a lot of violent dreams of kiling people which can be quite gory and detailed at times. Is it bad that i am not scared of them or panic in the least bit? I actually find that when I do have these dreams I tend to have an amazing sleep and wake up refreshed the next morning. Sometimes I wonder if I should be worried about this? I am trying to find the meaning behind these dreams and why they are so vivid

    1. I’m not a professional at all so don’t listen to me.
      Lucid dreams are dreams that you can control right? I think if you like these dreams all I can say is please keep them as dreams lmao don’t turn them to reality. Yeah I’m not professional but I think maybe you should talk to one about it and see what’s going on if you’re worried.

  26. I just had the scariest dream where somebody was trying to kill me but I ended up killing them out of fear in the struggle. Just trying to find out what it means

  27. Today I woke up 10 in the morning, and just have a long nightmare. I killed someone, I killed my cousin which is really a part of my life/whom I love really really because since I’m a baby/kid they are the one who cared for me. In my dream I killed two of them😭 I can’t believe why I dreamed of someone that I love! first I killed my aunt but I call him like second mom coz yes since I’m a kid she’s there for me because my mom is busy for work. When I turned sixteen my aunt/second mom died of her illness I cried a lot really all night. Then her sibling I killed her too in my dream right now. By the way I am nineteen now. She’s the sibling of my aunt mom. And I love her too so so much. But these days she have already a child:( makes me sad coz I thought her promise for me will happen that we will go to the beautiful place that I’m dreaming, she’s the kind of aunt that you can get along with, help me in so many ways, loving caring. But why did I kill her in my dreams???? :(((((

  28. I dreamed I saw 2 people one is holding a cutlass try to hurt me I end up killing them in a dream meaning please

  29. I had a dream about me being killed. I do dog walking, and one of my male clients was acting weird and suspicious, he was with me for some reason. I finally figured out that he was trying to separate me from my family’s party guests. I freaked and started running down the street and he was chasing me. I fell down in exhaustion and he caught up to me and gave me the most demonic glare. He said don’t run from me. He also said mean and hurtful things about my weight and how I should lose some so I could fit into some kind of machine, what he plans on doing with my corpse. I took out my pocket knife, slip open his knee and arm, and kicked him in the nuts. I ran back home. The next day my sister was acting weird and taking away my food and doing something with it. I realized that she was trying to poison me, my sister wouldn’t try to kill me, so she must be working with someone. I confronted her, and she instantly broke, and she told me that she was working with my male client. I was obviously pissed, but we made up a plan to help get him arrested. The next time the guy took me away from people, I had a mic hidden in my hair. He tried to reach for my boobs and give me a kiss. He said something about how I’d be killed. He was drunk. I kicked him away and ran home. The next day my sister and I took the recording to the cops and got him arrested. I don’t know what this dream means, can someone tell me?

  30. I had this dream that I was chasing this woman in a hilly park, eventually she runs to a lake that has all kinds of plants in it. The lake gives off bad vibes to me and I call out to the woman to not jump into the lake but she does so anyway, enticing me to jump in as well. I get to the girl to save her but suddenly outside the water there are people telling me “Why bother saving her? Just kill her”. My facial expression changes to something that seemed so evil. I push the girls head underwater and the dream ends

  31. I had a dream of killing two people at one dream one person I choke him to death on a bed and laying him down there and putting him down like he was sleeping and that I knew but rarely talk in real life and one unknown person I shot him with a gun to dead felt terrified please help

  32. Had a dream that I went out with my old three friends drinking After the bar they wanted to go to a house party but I did not by the time we got to the house I try to walk down the street and just take a bus home or walk home they had already drugged me and had no control over my body and then I blacked out I don’t remember what happened when I came to I left the house and start walking the streets trying to find a bus take home once I found the bus I got on the bus and everybody on the bus was drinking and partying bunch of guys grab me I blacked out again once I came to the bus stopped and I got off and I was in the same spot I begin to start walking the streets there’s people everywhere as I started to walk a bunch of guys start following me yelling at me telling me to come here and then one guy grabbed me put something in my back and stomach telling me that now it’s inside me I’m going to die and I woke up very real dream very real faces

  33. Good evening, I had a dream that an unknown young man wanted to kill me with a big stone, I collected the stone from him through a spoken words of command, as I collected the stone, I hits the stone on his head and he dead immediately. Please what is the meaning of this.

  34. i had a dream of a friend double crossing me called the cops and even wanted to kill me i woke up wanting to kill him for the dream felt so real it took minutes to step out of it and come back to reality

  35. Good afternoon, i am so worried about my dream..I have a dream that my housemate was killed inside his room then i jump in the ladder and run to ask help outside.

  36. Dreamt I killed some woman by putting her on the washing machine. I went to take her out and a mother figure accompanied me. I consoled the woman. I struggled to lay out a blanket. When I opened the washer … The mangled face turned and looked at me shamefully. Felt horrified she survived and i got caught in the act. Guilty. Woke up screaming …

    1. Dreamt that I was with my adult children, and we were with a man, whom I do not know, that kept killing people. Oddly though we never got away from this man, maybe out of fear. Finally we were in a house and he killed my daughter. Tjen I killed him with a long car key. Lol then I woke up

    2. No worries just be careful and be careful not to do something wrong cause people are watching you. Let their positive perception about you not turn to the negative one.

      Be very careful when dealing with humans and control your temper.

    3. I dreamt of someone revenging on me for killing his mother , then I found some magical person to rescue me with a help of my friend .. then everything went fine then there comes a struggle again and this time that magical person didn’t even attended my call … Then I’m scared and woke up

  37. Hi, Today I had a dream of 2 people trying to kill me but there was people on my side as well. What does this mean?

  38. I had a specific dream where I was in this forest but they called it something related to a mountain and it had something to do with fire and ice. So there was a videotape of me killing two people. The first person was a celebrity and the second was like their manager. Anyway, I took the tape and wiped my fingerprint off and hid it. Before I took the tape anywhere it seemed like I woke up like the whole murdering part was just a dream but just because I wasn’t sure I went and got the tape anyways. So because I didn’t know whether it was a dream or reality I went to check to see if they were still alive. They were never seen since I assume I killed them. it was all just so weird it didn’t scare me but it made me wonder…. why would I dream of killing when in reality I feel perfectly fine???

    1. you suffer from extreem emotional feelings that you want so badly to change but you are afraid to talk about them. you could have feelings of not being good enough and wishing at times you were someone else.

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