slaying

noun

slay·​ing ˈslā-iŋ 

plural slayings

: the act of killing a person : killing, murder

—used chiefly in journalistic writing

a gangland slaying

Sunday's slayings bring to 14 the number of killings this year in what police call gang-related attacks.

—Peter Stein

He is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …

—Joseph P. Fried

Synonyms

• murder
• homicide
• killing

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery

Recent Examples on the Web

He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison, but his guilt came into question in 1982 when investigators connected the Locci and Lo Bianco murders to the 1974, 1981, and 1982 slayings. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025

Each of the three games in this collection feature bloody action that'll keep you entertained with demon and monster slaying for hours. —PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025

Charlie was 15 years old and in 10th grade at Southeast High School at the time of the slayings, according to The Wichita Eagle. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

Trial in Sonya Massey shooting An Illinois sheriff's deputy goes on trial today for the 2024 slaying of Sonya Massey. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slaying

• baying
• braying
• faying
• flaying
• fraying
• graying
• greying
• haying
• laying
• neighing
• paying
• playing