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

By the eighth century, Charlemagne was organizing mass slaughters of the animal while the Church, wary of its earlier status as living god, denounced the bear as lewd, noting its disturbing resemblance to humans. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Natural Often mistaken as a welfare claim, this label refers to processing after slaughter. — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 26 July 2026

Verb

Local residents take up arms to slaughter homeless people in the street. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Per the title, Aang is the last surviving airbender after his pacifist brethren were slaughtered by a belligerent, expansionist Fire Nation. — Alison Herman, Variety, 24 July 2026