Synonyms of slay

slay

verb

ˈslā 

1

as in to kill

to deprive of life

millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kill
• destroy
• take
• dispatch
• fell
• slaughter
• claim
• murder
• carry off
• croak
• assassinate
• do for
• do away with
• neutralize
• annihilate
• do in
• smite
• cut down
• execute
• decimate
• massacre
• butcher
• make away with
• finish
• mow
• waste
• snuff
• kill off
• off
• whack
• put away
• get
• take out
• blot out
• terminate
• ice
• bump off
• scrag
• rub out
• knock off
• suicide
• put down
• martyr
• euthanize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• raise
• restore
• revive
• animate
• resurrect
• nurture
• resuscitate

2

as in to assassinate

to put to death deliberately

vowed to slay without mercy whoever was responsible for murdering his family

Synonyms & Similar Words

• assassinate
• murder
• execute
• kill
• neutralize
• get
• destroy
• dispatch
• slaughter
• liquidate
• terminate
• off
• snuff
• whack
• shoot
• put away
• take out
• ice
• croak
• do away with
• rub out
• bump off
• knock off
• do in
• smite
• cut down
• blow away
• eradicate
• eliminate
• fell
• shoot down
• claim
• massacre
• annihilate
• exterminate
• butcher
• carry off
• blot out
• mow (down)
• zap
• wipe out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• raise
• restore
• revive
• resurrect
• animate
• resuscitate

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

Recent Examples of slay

As global markets demanded higher performance thresholds, Gaydon answered with the ferocious Aston Martin DBX707, a high-velocity machine with premium luxury credentials plus supercar-slaying straight-line velocity. — New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026

He was slain after a fight with an emotionally disturbed fellow passenger spilled off the rush-hour train onto the platform at the Woodhaven Blvd. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

With career-defining performances from Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins, this movie still absolutely slays 35 years after it was released. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026

When his friend Richard (Leo Suter) slays Beatrice’s husband as well, the two come up with a scheme to marry the sisters and take over their property. — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026