slay
verb (used with object)
to kill by violence.
had slain
-
past perfectof slay.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His predecessor, Paul Volcker, had slain double-digit inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
The missing child was found unharmed nearby, next to the body of a wolf that Gelert had slain.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2022
This artillery, equipped on the ships of the Iron Fleet, had slain one dragon and deterred further immediate attacks.
From Slate ● May 13, 2019
It was late on Wednesday night and the Tottenham forward, whose sensational second-half hat-trick had slain Ajax in the Champions League semi-final, had stopped to talk to Brazilian TV.
From The Guardian ● May 9, 2019
Whatever had slain the kudu wasn’t visible, but it—or they, since it must have been jackals—had to be nearby.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
