Definitions and meaning of slay
slay
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English sleen, slayn, from Old English slēan (“to strike, beat, smite, stamp, forge, sting, slay, kill, impact”), from Proto-West Germanic *slahan, 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
- enPR: slā, IPA(key): /sleɪ/
-
- Rhymes: -eɪ
- Homophones: sleigh, sley
Verb
slay (third-person singular simple present slays, present participle slaying, simple past slew or slayed, past participle slain or slayed or (obsolete) yslain)
- (transitive, now literary) To kill; to murder.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:kill
- (transitive, literary) To eradicate or stamp out.
- (transitive, by extension, hyperbolic, informal) To defeat; to overcome (in a competition or contest).
- Synonym: conquer
- (transitive, slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter.
- Synonyms: hit it out of the park, kill
- (ambitransitive, chiefly African-American Vernacular and LGBTQ slang) To amaze, stun, or otherwise incapacitate by excellence; to excel at something.
- Synonyms: kill, rule; see also Thesaurus:excel
- (slang) To have sex with.
- Synonyms: coitize, go to bed with, sleep with; see also Thesaurus:copulate with
- 2015 Sexual Harassment in Education and Work Settings: 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”
Usage notes
- The alternative past tense and past participle form "slayed" is most strongly associated with the various slang senses:
- Harry Charles Witwer (1929) Yes Man's Land[3], 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!"”
- In recent use, "slayed" is also often found associated with the other senses as well. However, this is widely considered nonstandard.
- 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".
- "Slay" being used as a term to describe someone who acts, dresses, or is fashionable and flawless has its roots in LGBTQ+ ball culture.
Derived terms
Related terms
- onslaught
- slaughter
- self-slaughter
Translations
Noun
slay (plural slays)
- (chiefly African-American Vernacular and LGBTQ slang) Something excellent, amazing, or fashionable.
Interjection
slay
- (chiefly African-American Vernacular and LGBTQ slang) Used to express approval or amazement.
Etymology 2
See sley
Noun
slay (plural slays)
- Alternative form of sley
References
Anagrams
Middle English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From metaphorical usage of Old English slege, from Proto-West Germanic *slagi, from Proto-Germanic *slagiz.
Pronunciation
Noun
slay (plural slayes)
- A sley or reed (part of a loom).
Descendants
References
- “sleie, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-25.
Source: wiktionary.org