Synonyms of slaughter

slaughter 1 of 2

noun

ˈslȯ-tər 

as in massacre

the killing of a large number of people

all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

• massacre
• carnage
• death
• butchery
• genocide
• holocaust
• murder
• bloodbath
• killing
• slaying
• bloodshed
• extermination
• destruction
• mortality
• annihilation
• manslaughter
• homicide
• devastation
• execution
• assassination
• eradication
• bloodletting
• pogrom
• decimation
• foul play
• demolishing

slaughter

2 of 2

verb

as in to massacre

to kill on a large scale

modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• massacre
• murder
• butcher
• slay
• assassinate
• destroy
• execute
• dispatch
• mow (down)
• eradicate
• smite
• demolish
• exterminate
• fell
• wipe out
• waste
• annihilate
• snuff
• decimate
• blot out
• do in
• devastate
• croak

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slaughter

Noun

Many leaders of the slaughter were tried and convicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal that has now closed down. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

For meat to be considered halal and suitable for consumption by Muslims, animals must be healthy and treated humanely before slaughter. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

What to Read Providence, by Max Barry Seven years before the start of this novel, an alien species slaughtered everyone aboard a human spaceship—Earth’s first contact with extraterrestrials. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Bulls make money, bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026