Slaying
/ˈsleɪ.ɪŋ/noun
The act of killing someone or something, or causing extreme admiration in informal use.
Did you know?Slay comes from Old English *slean*, a strong verb tied to the same ancient root behind German *schlagen* and Dutch *slaan*, all carrying the force of striking or killing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*slak-
“to strike, hit”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*slahaną
“to strike, hit, slay”
Old English
English
slēan
“to strike, beat, kill”
Middle English
English
slayen
“to kill, put to death”
Modern English
English
slaying
“the act of killing; later, informal: doing something impressively well”