slay

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of slay are assassinate, dispatch, execute, kill, and murder. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Where would assassinate be a reasonable alternative to slay?

The words assassinate and slay can be used in similar contexts, but assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

In what contexts can dispatch take the place of slay?

Although the words dispatch and slay have much in common, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When can execute be used instead of slay?

The words execute and slay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When might kill be a better fit than slay?

The synonyms kill and slay are sometimes interchangeable, but kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is it sensible to use murder instead of slay?

While in some cases nearly identical to slay, murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slay In myth, if a hero wants to achieve greatness—to slay a multiheaded Hydra, to part the Red Sea, to bring balance to the Force—he is almost required to have a dramatic paternity reveal. Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 The DeKalb County Police Department identified the slain officer as 33-year-old David Rose, who was a husband and father of three, including one on the way. Alexandra Koch , Sophia Compton , Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025 An additional three people have been slain this year in the 101st Precinct, which covers Far Rockaway from Beach 59th St. east to the Long Island border. Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2025 Earlier this year, inmates Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage and Donald Lashley were slain at the prison. Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slay
Verb
  • The shooting killed two children and injured more than a dozen people.
    John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The importance of flood insurance and homeowners insurance was underscored this summer when deadly flash floods killed dozens in central Texas.
    Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Israel has assassinated many of Hamas’ top military and political leadership.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Last year, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
    Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Their job was to destroy the Amazon to make room for raising cattle.
    Terrence McCoy The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2025
  • If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In 2021, Data for Indigenous Justice published the first report on the crisis in Alaska, highlighting the failure of media and local governments to gather data on cases of missing and murdered people to analyze patterns.
    Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 29 Aug. 2025
  • This woman is trying not to get murdered by either her brothers or Clan Grant.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Before this year, the most inmates the state had executed in a single year was eight, both in 1984 and 2014.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
  • DeSantis also has signed a death warrant for David Pittman, who is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 17.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slay. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on slay

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