diff --git a/cmd/ctr/delete.go b/cmd/ctr/delete.go
index 290513db9..3584ec773 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/delete.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/delete.go
@@ -1,16 +1,19 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
 
-var deleteCommand = cli.Command{
+var containersDeleteCommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:      "delete",
 	Usage:     "delete an existing container",
 	ArgsUsage: "CONTAINER",
+	Aliases:   []string{"del", "rm"},
 	Flags: []cli.Flag{
 		cli.BoolFlag{
 			Name:  "keep-snapshot",
@@ -18,6 +21,7 @@ var deleteCommand = cli.Command{
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
+		var exitErr error
 		ctx, cancel := appContext(context)
 		defer cancel()
 		client, err := newClient(context)
@@ -28,24 +32,39 @@ var deleteCommand = cli.Command{
 		if !context.Bool("keep-snapshot") {
 			deleteOpts = append(deleteOpts, containerd.WithSnapshotCleanup)
 		}
-		container, err := client.LoadContainer(ctx, context.Args().First())
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		task, err := container.Task(ctx, nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			return container.Delete(ctx, deleteOpts...)
-		}
-		status, err := task.Status(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if status == containerd.Stopped || status == containerd.Created {
-			if _, err := task.Delete(ctx); err != nil {
-				return err
+
+		for _, arg := range context.Args() {
+			if err := deleteContainer(ctx, client, arg, deleteOpts...); err != nil {
+				if exitErr == nil {
+					exitErr = err
+				}
+				log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("failed to delete container %q", arg)
 			}
-			return container.Delete(ctx, deleteOpts...)
 		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot delete a non stopped container: %v", status)
+
+		return exitErr
 	},
 }
+
+func deleteContainer(ctx context.Context, client *containerd.Client, id string, opts ...containerd.DeleteOpts) error {
+	container, err := client.LoadContainer(ctx, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	task, err := container.Task(ctx, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return container.Delete(ctx, opts...)
+	}
+	status, err := task.Status(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if status == containerd.Stopped || status == containerd.Created {
+		if _, err := task.Delete(ctx); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return container.Delete(ctx, opts...)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("cannot delete a non stopped container: %v", status)
+
+}
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/main.go b/cmd/ctr/main.go
index 29cf3ed93..0a3969393 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/main.go
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ containerd CLI
 		checkpointCommand,
 		containersCommand,
 		contentCommand,
-		deleteCommand,
 		eventsCommand,
 		execCommand,
 		fetchCommand,
@@ -103,6 +102,7 @@ var containersCommand = cli.Command{
 	Aliases: []string{"c"},
 	Subcommands: []cli.Command{
 		containersListCommand,
+		containersDeleteCommand,
 		containersSetLabelsCommand,
 	},
 }