verb

slay

verb

To kill.

"The knight set out to slay the dragon."

To impress or amaze greatly (informal, modern slang).

"She absolutely slayed her presentation this morning."

How to Use Slay

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTraditionally means to kill; in current slang it means to do something impressively well.

When to use it

The "impress" sense is very informal internet/pop-culture slang, common since the 2010s.

Common pairings

slay a dragon slay it you slayed that

Word Forms

more slay comparative, slew past tense, slayed past tense, slain past tense, yslain past tense, slays plural, Slays plural, slays singular, most slay superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The knight set out to _____ the dragon.

Etymology

From Old English slean ("to strike, kill"), related to modern German schlagen ("to hit"); the same root behind "slaughter."

Rhymes for slay

ay may day say ray hay lay pay jay way yay nay

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