slay

[sley]

verb (used with object)

slew, slayed , slain , slaying .

1. to kill by violence.

   In this game, your goal is to slay the evil dragon and take his hoard.

   Synonyms: assassinate, butcher, massacre, slaughter, murder

2. to destroy; extinguish.

   Together we are slaying our self-doubt and working towards our dreams.

   Synonyms: ruin, annihilate

3. Slang.

   1. to impress strongly and favorably; overwhelm, especially by humor.

      Your jokes slay me.

   2. to make a strong favorable impression with.

      She really slayed her performance last night.

4. sley.

5. Obsolete.,  to strike.

verb (used without object)

slew, slayed , slain , slaying .

1. to kill or murder.

2. Slang.,  to have a strong favorable effect; to be remarkably impressive.

   His whole album slays.

noun

1. sley.

slay

/ sleɪ /

verb

1. archaic,  to kill, esp violently

2. slang,  to impress (someone) sexually

3. obsolete,  to strike

Other Word Forms

• slayer noun
• slayable adjective
• unslayable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of slay¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sleen, slayn, Old English slēan; cognate with Dutch slaan, German schlagen, Old Norse slā, Gothic slahan “to strike, beat”

Word History and Origins

Origin of slay¹

Old English slēan; related to Old Norse slā, Gothic, Old High German slahan to strike, Old Irish slacaim I beat

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. slay the day, to have a good or successful day.

   I woke up refreshed and ready to slay the day.

Example Sentences

An anime film slayed its Hollywood competition at the box office this weekend.

From Los Angeles Times

Kirk was shot by a sniper at a Utah university, and graphic video of the slaying immediately spread around social media platforms, heightening emotions.

From Los Angeles Times

Investigators are still looking through evidence and trying to determine a motive in the slaying.

From Los Angeles Times

Our decline did not begin with the horrific slaying Wednesday of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old father and conservative media superstar, and it will not end with it.

From Los Angeles Times

Premier Misick dubbed July's mass shooting in a local bar a "gangland-type slaying", and appealed to Haitian community leaders to help "keep these islands safe".

From BBC

Related Words

• assassinate 
• butcher 
• destroy 
• dispatch 
• execute 
• exterminate 
• massacre 
• murder 
• slaughter 

When To Use

What else does slay mean?

Slay can mean "to kill a person or animal," "to make someone laugh," "to have sex with someone," or "to do something spectacularly well," especially when it comes to fashion, artistic performance, or self-confidence.