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

• slayable adjective
• slayer noun
• 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

To no one’s surprise, the Saudi government had tried to dodge the issue before claiming Khashoggi had been killed by rogue officials, insisting that the slaying and dismemberment was not premeditated.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We went from playing Super Smash Bros. and ordering pizza to meeting my dead grandmother, being chased by a River God, fighting trolls, coming face-to-face with Bulgu, destroying a building, and slaying a sea serpent.

Read more on Literature

There are so many bonuses available for, say, slaying any of his hunters that even if Ben dies he will be able to leave a considerable sum to his widow.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His slaying is widely regarded as one of the most consequential — and contentious— events of recent Mexican history.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Following the mayor’s slaying, Sheinbaum ruled out a return to the militaristic War on Drugs, which cost tens of thousands of lives and, according to Sheinbaum and other critics, did little to halt drug trafficking.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.