slay
slay — verb
- slaypresent simple I / you / we / they
- slayshe / she / it
- slewpast simple
- slainpast participle
- slaying-ing form
1. to kill a person, animal, or creature through violent force, especially in a bat
to kill a person, animal, or creature through violent force, especially in a battle, war, or legendary conflict
In the old folktale, the fisherman's son slays the giant with nothing but his wits and a wooden club.
slay + noun phrase (legendary creature)
Hundreds of soldiers were slain in the battle that lasted three days and three nights.
passive: be slain in battle/war
A single arrow slew the wolf that had been terrorising the village for weeks.
The documentary shows how poachers slay elephants for their ivory tusks.
文法句型
slay + noun phrase (person/creature)
用法筆記
Traditionally takes irregular forms: slew (past tense) and slain (past participle). In modern informal use of other senses, the regular form slayed is standard.
常見錯誤
2. to murder someone; used in news reports as a more dramatic or formal word for ki
to murder someone; used in news reports as a more dramatic or formal word for killing a person
Two people were slain in a suspected gang shooting outside a downtown restaurant on Friday night.
passive: were slain in [context]
The detective revealed that the victim had been slain with a knife from her own kitchen.
Newspaper headlines read 'Family of Four Slain in Home Invasion.'
The court heard how the shopkeeper was slain during a robbery that went wrong.
文法句型
slay + noun phrase (person)
be slain (by someone)
用法筆記
This sense is characteristic of American newspaper journalism. The past participle slain is more common than slayed in this context. British English prefers murdered.
3. to create a very strong favourable impression on people through one's performanc
to create a very strong favourable impression on people through one's performance, appearance, or skill, so that they are full of admiration
Padma slayed the competition with her dazzling dance routine and won first prize.
slay + noun phrase (competition, audience)
Every time Stephanie walks into a party wearing one of her bold outfits, she absolutely slays.
intransitive: absolutely slay
The young singer slayed her debut performance and earned a standing ovation from the crowd.
Tomás posted a photo of his homemade wedding cake online, and his friends all commented that he slayed it.
文法句型
slay + noun phrase (audience, competition)
slay (intransitive) — you slay!
用法筆記
Frequently used in fashion, entertainment, and social media contexts. Often appears as an exclamation ('Slay!') or in the phrase 'slay the game / slay the look.' The regular past form slayed is standard — do not use slew.
常見錯誤
4. to cause someone to feel deeply let down or emotionally hurt, often because an e
to cause someone to feel deeply let down or emotionally hurt, often because an event or situation turns out badly
It slays me that Eli studied for months but still failed the driving test.
it slays + person + that-clause
Lakan was completely slayed when his best friend moved abroad without even saying goodbye.
passive: be slayed by [news/event]
It slays Abigail to see talented artists give up because they cannot find work.
The school trip cancellation slayed Nia, who had been planning her outfits for weeks.
文法句型
it slays + noun phrase (person) — it slays me that...
用法筆記
The subject is often a situation or piece of news ('it slays me that...'). Less common than slay in the 'impress' or 'amuse' senses.
5. to be of outstanding quality or very skilled; used as a general term of enthusia
to be of outstanding quality or very skilled; used as a general term of enthusiastic praise for anything impressive
That new Korean barbecue place near campus absolutely slays — we should go there this weekend.
inanimate subject: [place/thing] slays
Aoi's homemade lemon pie slays; every time she brings it to a party, people ask for the recipe.
Manuela's new album slays from the first song to the last track.
The graphics in that video game slay — even my older laptop can run them smoothly.
- rock
similar slang register; 'this place rocks' = 'this place slays'
- be amazing
neutral register; slay is much more informal
- be fire
slang with same register; 'this album is fire'
文法句型
subject + slays
用法筆記
Intransitive — the subject is the thing being praised. Often used with adverbs like absolutely, totally. Very common in social media, product reviews, and informal recommendations.
常見錯誤
6. to amuse or delight someone hugely, especially by saying something very funny or
to amuse or delight someone hugely, especially by saying something very funny or clever
Romi's impression of the maths teacher absolutely slayed the whole class, and nobody could stop laughing.
slay + noun phrase (person/group)
Every time Ziad tells that story about the airport, he slays me — I cry with laughter every single time.
informal fixed phrase: you slay me
Nia's deadpan response to the teacher's question slayed everyone in the room.
The way Erik mimics the neighbour's cat always slays Padma — she laughs until she cannot breathe.
文法句型
subject + slays + noun phrase (person) — you slay me
用法筆記
Often used in the set phrase 'you slay me!' to express that someone has said something hilarious. Common in conversational American English among younger speakers.
slay — noun
- slaysingular
- slaysplural
1. a person or thing regarded as outstandingly good, impressive, or entertaining; s
a person or thing regarded as outstandingly good, impressive, or entertaining; someone who excels in a particular area
The DJ at the rooftop party was an absolute slay — everyone danced until three in the morning.
absolute slay — intensifier + noun
Abigail said her new dress is a total slay, and her friends all asked where she bought it.
Erik's latest painting is a complete slay; the gallery sold all ten copies in one day.
Manuela's TikTok dance video was such a slay that it got over a million likes overnight.
文法句型
a slay — a + noun
用法筆記
Used as a countable noun. Often preceded by an intensifier: an absolute slay, a total slay, a complete slay. Originates from drag and ballroom culture.
slay — adjective
- slaypositive
- slayercomparative
- slayestsuperlative
1. of outstanding quality or high standard; used as an informal term of strong appr
of outstanding quality or high standard; used as an informal term of strong approval
Padma wore a slay outfit to the awards ceremony, and the fashion bloggers could not stop posting photos.
slay + noun (attributive)
The playlist Stephanie made for the road trip is totally slay — every song is a banger.
be slay (predicative)
Everyone agreed that the street art festival was a slay event, with colourful murals on every wall.
Lakan made a slay presentation at the conference and received a standing ovation from the audience.
文法句型
slay + noun
be slay
用法筆記
This adjectival use is very informal and primarily found in social media, fashion commentary, and youth slang. It is less established than the verb forms.
slay — exclamation
1. used to express strong approval, excitement, or gratitude; equivalent to 'great!
used to express strong approval, excitement, or gratitude; equivalent to 'great!', 'awesome!', or 'thank you!'
When Tomás showed his friends the finished cake, they all cheered, 'Slay!' and gave him a round of applause.
exclamation of approval: Slay!
Aoi held the door for an elderly woman, who smiled and said, 'Slay, dear.'
'I picked up coffee for everyone.' — 'Slay! Thank you, that is exactly what I needed.'
Manuela finished her presentation early, and the professor nodded and whispered, 'Slay.'
文法句型
Slay! — standalone exclamation
用法筆記
Originates from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) and LGBTQ+ ballroom culture. Now widely used across social media platforms. Can mean 'well done,' 'thank you,' or simply 'I approve.'