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Synonyms

slayer

American  
[sley-er] / ˈsleɪ ər /

noun

slayers plural
  1. a person who kills another person or creature, usually violently, or who destroys something.

    In the movie, the prince is a dragon slayer on a mission to kill the dragon responsible for corrupting the heart of the king.

    In Hindu legend, the goddess Kalaratri is worshiped as the slayer of darkness and ignorance.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of slayer

slay ( def. ) + -er 1

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.

See Examples For:

And the aging-out of Judith, who named herself after the slayer of Holofernes and whom the Agency is trying to retire.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was set to lead the show as a supernatural slayer opposite Gellar, lamented the cancellation on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 16, 2026

Dr. Ilko argues that Guglielmo's reputation as a dragon slayer came from his role in cleansing the environment and restoring the valley's productivity.

From Science Daily Feb. 2, 2026

These rules, known as slayer rules, have a long history in the United States.

From Salon Dec. 25, 2025

“Lord of Light, preserve us from this evil,” they prayed, led by the deep voice of Ser Godry the Giant- slayer.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Stakeholders: It makes me think of vampire slayers.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 26, 2026

In the main, however, townsfolk do not roll out the welcome wagon for these slayers for hire.

From Salon Jul. 8, 2023

Last year’s follow-up “As Above, So Below” continues her sharp social critiques, reflections and genre-blending with pond-hopping collabs with American bar slayers Joey Bada$$ and Denzel Curry and ’70s Zamrock greats Witch.

From Seattle Times Apr. 19, 2023

With this win Tiafoe moved toward the front of the line of would-be dragon slayers.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 5, 2022

The Clutter slayers, granted a reprieve by a Federal judge, evaded their date.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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