slay

verb \ˈslā\

: to kill (someone or something) especially in a battle or war

: to kill (someone)

: to delight or amuse (someone) very much

slew \ˈslü\ also especially in sense 2 slayedslain \ˈslān\ slay·ing

Full Definition of SLAY

transitive verb

: to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers; broadly : to strike down : kill

: to delight or amuse immensely <slayed the audience>

intransitive verb

: kill, murder

— slay·er noun

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Origin of SLAY

Middle English slen, from Old English slēan to strike, slay; akin to Old High German slahan to strike, Middle Irish slachta stricken

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SLAY

Synonyms: carry off, claim, croak [slang], destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, take

Antonyms: animate

Synonym Discussion of SLAY

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life. kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner <killed in an accident> <frost killed the plants>. slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive <slew thousands of the Philistines>. murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility <convicted of murdering a rival>. assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives <terrorists assassinated the Senator>. dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death <dispatched the sentry with one bullet>. execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty <executed by lethal gas>.