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Curve killer
01
a student who scores so high on an exam that they ruin the grading curve for everyone else
Slang
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Human
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
curve killers
What does "curve killer" mean in academic slang?
The term "curve killer" refers to a student who scores so high on an exam that they significantly raise the grading curve, making it harder for others to receive top grades. The structure is a compound slang phrase where "curve" refers to curved grading and "killer" implies destroying or disrupting it. It is commonly used in academic settings to describe exceptionally high-performing students who affect relative grading outcomes for the entire class.
Examples
Do n't sit next to the curve killer; you'll just feel bad.
