slay
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old English slēan
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Verb
to slay (third-person singular simple present slays, present participle slaying, simple past slew or slayed, past participle slain or slayed)
- (now literary) To kill, murder.
- The knight slew the dragon.
- Our foes must all be slain.
- (literary) To eradicate or stamp out.
- You must slay these thoughts.
- (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (by extension) To defeat, overcome
- (slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter
- Ha ha! You slay me!
[edit] Usage notes
- The alternative past tense and past participle form "slayed" is most strongly associated with the slang sense, "to delight or overwhelm":
- 1929, Harry Charles Witwer, Yes Man's Land[1], page 254:
- "Cutey, you slayed me !" grins Jackie, working fast. "I guess that's what made the rest of 'em look so bad — you was so good!"
- 1929, Harry Charles Witwer, Yes Man's Land[1], page 254:
- In recent use, "slayed" is also often found associated with the other senses as well. However, this is widely considered nonstandard.[1]
- A review of US usage 2000-2009 in COCA suggests that "slayed" is increasing in popularity, but remains less common than "slew". It is very rare in UK usage (BNC).
[edit] Synonyms
- (to kill, murder): kill, murder, assassinate
- (to defeat, overcome): conquer, defeat, overcome
- (to overwhelm or delight): kill, hit it out of the park
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
to kill, murder
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[edit] References
- Notes:
- ^ "But slayed cannot be considered established in such use. Whether it eventually becomes established remains to be seen." — Merriam-Webster Publishing Co. (1994). “slay”, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, 853. ISBN 0877791325.
