slay

verb \ ˈslā \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of slay

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

transitive verb

1 : to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers; broadly : to strike down : kill

2 : to delight or amuse immensely

slayed the audience

intransitive verb

: kill, murder

—

slayer

noun

See slay defined for English-language learners

See slay defined for kids

Examples of slay in a Sentence

The knight slew the dragon.
millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease

Recent Examples of slay from the Web

She was slain alongside her adoptive dad, 56-year-old Anthony Busco.

— harriet sokmensuer, PEOPLE.com, "Incest Suspect Accused of Impregnating Daughter Kills Her and Their Infant Son in Murder-Suicide," 12 Apr. 2018
There is a feeling of Ehrenreich getting her affairs in order, slaying a few final foes.

— parul sehgal, New York Times, "Barbara Ehrenreich Urges Us to Accept, Accept the Dying of the Light," 10 Apr. 2018
Christians might say that they've been slain in the Spirit or rolled by the Holy Ghost.

— daniel burke, CNN, "Seeing the Pope help strangers made me tear up. Later I learned why.," 6 Apr. 2018
The team that comes out of nowhere to beat the buzzer and slay the giant.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Why Loyola-Chicago Is March's Last Cinderella Standing," 22 Mar. 2018
In his last story, published after he was slain with his fiancee in an execution-style hit, the journalist Jan Kuciak reported on links of Fico associates to Italian companies allegedly stealing EU funds in eastern Slovakia.

— Bloomberg.com, "Slovak Premier’s Resignation Fails to Quell Protests Over Graft," 16 Mar. 2018
Globally, Black Panther is also slaying the box office game.

— diana shi, Teen Vogue, ""Black Panther" Is the Top-Grossing Superhero Film of All Time in North America," 25 Mar. 2018
The brother of one of the 17 slain Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School said that he was not allowed to speak at the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.

— anne geggis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Brother of Parkland shooting victim says he was snubbed by march organizers," 24 Mar. 2018
Over the past two decades, a handful of massacres that have come to define school shootings in this country are almost always remembered for the students and educators slain.

— john woodrow cox and steven rich, courant.com, "What happens to children who survive school shootings in America?," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of slay

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

slay Synonyms

Phrases

do away with, make away with;

Synonym Discussion of 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

SLAY Defined for English Language Learners

slay

verb

Definition of slay for English Language Learners

: to kill (someone or something) especially in a battle or war
: to kill (someone)
: to delight or amuse (someone) very much

SLAY Defined for Kids

slay

verb \ ˈslā \

Definition of slay for Students

slew \ˈslü\; slain \ˈslān\; slaying

: ¹kill 1

—

slayer

noun

Learn More about slay

See words that rhyme with slay Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for slay Spanish Central: Translation of slay Nglish: Translation of slay for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of slay for Arabic speakers

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slay

Definition of slay

slayer

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Origin and Etymology of slay

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SLAY Defined for English Language Learners

slay

Definition of slay for English Language Learners

SLAY Defined for Kids

slay

Definition of slay for Students

slayer

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