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 But maybe audiences will at least reach for their remotes and go to streaming for the killer doll that slays in more ways than one. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025 The forces of the lords put down the revolt by slaying somewhere between seventy thousand and a hundred thousand peasants. Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025 The local station owner had previously demanded that Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to the slain activist's organization, Turning Point USA. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 Plus, here’s how your federal lawmakers voted on a resolution honoring the slain activist. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slay
Verb
  • Tom is torn between loyalty to his dead wife and love for the estranged son who killed her.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
  • How many people did Ed Gein kill in real life?
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Abe – widely seen as Japan’s last stable leader, having ruled for nearly nine years – was assassinated in 2022.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The California resident who pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in 2022 was sentenced Friday to just over eight years in prison, far below the three-decade term sought by federal prosecutors.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Two months after historic floods swept through the Milwaukee area, new data shows that nearly 2,200 homes throughout Milwaukee County sustained major damage or were destroyed.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Police in Florida are searching for two men caught on camera destroying a mall store while stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.
    Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When a young woman is brutally murdered in a remote town, a determined female detective is thrust into the case.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
  • That included a pair of hunters named Victor Travis and Raymond Burgess; on the show, Gein hunts them down and murders them with a chainsaw.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Fans have become frustrated watching the Philadelphia Eagles execute the play time and time again.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The area has seen heavy rains at least 20 times since the VRA was executed last year, according to an ABC News analysis of National Weather Service data.
    Maia Rosenfeld, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slay. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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