1
transitive
: to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers
slay the enemy
This was the appearance of a dreadful epidemic which in that age, and long before and afterward, was wont to slay its hundreds and thousands on both sides of the Atlantic.—
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
broadly
: to strike down : kill
slay a dragon
"It's a lot easier to slay a vampire with a stake in the heart than it is to slay some of our demons that are in our heads." —Rachel T. Hill
Rachel T. Hill 2
transitive
informal
: to delight or amuse immensely
slayed the audience
… [Seth Rogen] is currently slaying critics with Superbad, which he co-wrote with Evan Goldberg.—Tanner Stransky
Tanner Stransky3
transitive + intransitive
informal
: to do something or perform exceptionally well or impressively : to be exceptionally impressive
From the Let Girls Learn initiative to her Vogue covers, [Yara Shahidi] slays it all.—Rebecca Sun
Rebecca SunBeyoncé did not come to this year's Grammy Awards just to slay, she came to make a statement.—Jackie Fields
Jackie FieldsFrom the red carpet to her sure-to-be epic performance, one thing is for certain—she's gonna slay.—Quinn Keaney
Quinn Keaney
slayer
noun
Examples of slay in a Sentence
The knight slew the dragon.
millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease
Recent Examples on the Web
Now, residents of Gaza and the West Bank are at the mercy of Israeli military operations in which fighters and civilians are being slain at staggering rates.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
Blumhouse’s slaying doll returns to domestic cinemas on June 27.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Less than 30 hours earlier, Officer Osmar Rodarte was slain while executing a search warrant in Olivehurst during a sweeping, multi-county law enforcement operation targeting transnational drug traffickers.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
In contrast to both of those looks, the actress just wore a super-sleek power ensemble that would slay in a C-suite at a Manhattan office.
—Clint Davis, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slay
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Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
Blumhouse’s slaying doll returns to domestic cinemas on June 27.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Less than 30 hours earlier, Officer Osmar Rodarte was slain while executing a search warrant in Olivehurst during a sweeping, multi-county law enforcement operation targeting transnational drug traffickers.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
In contrast to both of those looks, the actress just wore a super-sleek power ensemble that would slay in a C-suite at a Manhattan office.
—Clint Davis, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slay
Cite this Entry
“Slay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slay. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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