slay

verb

slew ˈslü How to pronounce slay (audio) also especially in sense 2 slayed; slain ˈslān How to pronounce slay (audio) ; 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
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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Homicides last year were down from 2022, when 226 people were slain, and 2021, when a record 271 were killed. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2024 Playing with the concept that people are at their most vulnerable while sleeping, Craven created a horror icon with Freddy Krueger (played with gusto by Robert Englund), an evil entity seeking revenge for his murder by slaying the children of his killers in their dreams. Meagan Navarro, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024 The city, part of the Bozeman metropolitan area, is about 45 miles directly north from where he was found slain. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Price’s decision affects Misch’s trial, which started this week, for allegedly slaying two Fremont women and a separate future trial for allegedly abducting and killing 9-year-old Michaela Garecht in Hayward, all cold cases from the 1980s. East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for slay 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of slay was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near slay

Cite this Entry

“Slay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slay. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

slay

verb
slew ˈslü How to pronounce slay (audio) ; slain ˈslān How to pronounce slay (audio) ; slaying
: to put to death violently or in great numbers
slayer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on slay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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