slay

verb

ˈslā 

slew ˈslü  also especially in sense 2 slayed; slain ˈslān  ; slaying; slays

1

transitive : to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers

slay the enemy

This was the appearance of a dreadful epidemic which in that age, and long before and afterward, was wont to slay its hundreds and thousands on both sides of the Atlantic.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

broadly : to strike down : kill

slay a dragon

"It's a lot easier to slay a vampire with a stake in the heart than it is to slay some of our demons that are in our heads."

—Rachel T. Hill

2

transitive informal : to delight or amuse immensely

slayed the audience

… [Seth Rogen] is currently slaying critics with Superbad, which he co-wrote with Evan Goldberg.

—Tanner Stransky

3

transitive + intransitive informal : to do something or perform exceptionally well or impressively : to be exceptionally impressive

From the Let Girls Learn initiative to her Vogue covers, [Yara Shahidi] slays it all.

—Rebecca Sun

Beyoncé did not come to this year's Grammy Awards just to slay, she came to make a statement.

—Jackie Fields

From the red carpet to her sure-to-be epic performance, one thing is for certain—she's gonna slay.

—Quinn Keaney

slayer noun

Synonyms

• carry off
• claim
• croak [slang]
• destroy
• dispatch
• do in
• fell
• kill
• take

Choose the Right Synonym for slay

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident

frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Examples of slay in a Sentence

The knight slew the dragon.

millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease

Recent Examples on the Web

David slayed the giant with a slingshot; Esther by her cunning saved her people. —Gwen Faulkenberry, arkansasonline.com, 12 Dec. 2024

The famous mother-daughter duo slayed in coordinating looks for both the 2019 premiere of The Lion King as well as the Mufasa: The Lion King 2024 premiere. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

Bass said that through the first week of December, there were 266 people killed citywide, a decline of 15% compared with the number slain in the same period in 2023. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

From the producers of John Wick, which should surprise no one, Violent Night stars David Harbour as a particularly murderous Santa Claus defending an estate against a team of thieving mercenaries who break in, take the family hostage, and slay the house staff on Christmas Eve. —Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English slen, from Old English slēan to strike, slay; akin to Old High German slahan to strike, Middle Irish slachta stricken

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

slay

verb

ˈslā 

slew ˈslü  ; slain ˈslān  ; slaying

: to put to death violently or in great numbers

slayer noun