slay
See also: Slay
English
Etymology
From Middle English sleen, slayn, from Old English slēan (“to strike, beat, smite, stamp, forge, sting, slay, kill, impact”), from Proto-Germanic *slahaną (“to fight, strike, kill”), from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (“to hit, strike, throw”). Cognate with Dutch slaan (“to beat, hit, strike”), Low German slaan (“hit, strike”), German schlagen (“to beat, hit, strike”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish slå (“to knock, beat, strike”), Icelandic slá (“to strike”). Related to slaughter, onslaught.
Pronunciation
Verb
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.
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- c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II scene i[2]:
- The Prince of Morocco:
- […] By this scimitar,
- That slew the Sophy and a Persian prince
- That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
- I would outstare the sternest eyes that look,
- Outbrave the heart most daring on earth,
- Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear,
- Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
- To win thee, lady. […]
- (literary) To eradicate or stamp out.
- You must slay these thoughts.
- (by extension, hyperbolic, colloquial) To defeat, overcome (in a competition or contest).
- 1956, “Giants Slay Bears in Pro Title Battle”, in Lodi News-Sentinel, 1956 December 31, page 8.
- 1985, “Redskins slay Giants; Thiesmann shatters leg”, in The Gadsden Times, 1985 November 19, page D1-5.
- 1993, Jack Curry, “Yanks’ Bullpen Falls Short Again”, in The New York Times, 1993 April 21:
- The Yankees were actually slayed by two former Yankees because Rich Gossage pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Eckersley to notch his first victory.
- (slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter.
- Ha ha! You slay me!
- (slang, transitive, intransitive) To amaze, stun or otherwise incapacitate by awesomeness; to be awesome at something; to kill (slang sense).
- (slang) to have sex with
- 2015 Sexual Harassment in Education and Work Settings: Current Research and Best Practices for Prevention: Current Research and Best Practices for Prevention
- The Online Slang Dictionary offers nearly 200 words referring to sexual intercourse. Many of the terms and phrases connote violence, such as: “bang,” “beat,” “chopped up,” “cut,” “hit,” “hit raw,” “hit that,” “kick it,” “nail,” “pound,” “ram,” “slap and tickle,” “slay,” “smack,” “smash,” and “spank”
- 2015 Sexual Harassment in Education and Work Settings: Current Research and Best Practices for Prevention: Current Research and Best Practices for Prevention
Usage notes
- The alternative past tense and past participle form "slayed" is most strongly associated with the slang sense, "to delight or overwhelm":
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- 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).
- "Slain" has a current usage in newspaper headlines, as being shorter than "murdered".
Synonyms
- (to kill, murder): kill, murder, assassinate
- (to defeat, overcome): conquer, defeat, overcome
- (to overwhelm or delight): kill, hit it out of the park
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to kill, murder
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References
Anagrams
Middle English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From metaphorical usage of Old English slege, from Proto-Germanic *slagiz.
Pronunciation
Noun
slay (plural slayes)
- A sley or reed (part of a loom).
Descendants
- English: sley
References
- “sleie (n.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-25.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
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- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English 1-syllable words
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- Rhymes:English/eɪ
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- English class 6 strong verbs
- en:Death
- en:Violence
- Middle English terms inherited from Old English
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- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
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- enm:Weaving