slaying

IPA/ˈsleɪɪŋ/
KK[slˈeɪŋ]IPA/ˈsleɪɪŋ/

slaying — noun

  • slayingsingular
  • slayingsplural

1. the deliberate killing of someone, or one murder case spoken of in a formal way.

1.nounC1
Definition

the deliberate killing of someone, or one murder case spoken of in a formal way.

Example

Police questioned Faisal after the slaying of a jeweler near the station.

the slaying of + victim

Newspapers called the slaying in the village the worst local crime in decades.

Common collocations
  • the slaying of
  • brutal slaying
  • investigate a slaying
  • describe the slaying
Synonyms
  • murder

    the everyday word for this crime; less formal than slaying

  • killing

    a broader and more neutral term that can include lawful deaths

  • assassination

    used when an important public figure is killed for political reasons

Grammar Patterns

the slaying of somebody

a brutal slaying

Usage Note

Usually used in formal writing, crime reports, or dramatic storytelling. In everyday conversation, people more often say 'murder' or 'killing', especially when they are talking about a specific case.

Common Mistakes

The news reported a slaying of the man.
The news reported the slaying of the man.
this noun usually takes 'the' or another determiner when referring to a specific case.
There was a slaying someone in the alley.
There was a slaying in the alley.' / 'Someone was slain in the alley.
'slaying' is a noun here, not a verb form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Killing' is the broadest word and can refer to any death caused by a person, including lawful or accidental cases. 'Murder' is the everyday word for the unlawful crime of deliberately killing someone. 'Slaying' points to the same kind of event as 'murder', but it sounds more formal or dramatic and often appears in headlines, crime reports, or storytelling. 'Assassination' is narrower: it is used when a famous or politically important person is deliberately killed for a public motive.

slaying ↗murder ↗killing ↗assassination ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • slaying case
  • slaying victim
  • slaying investigation

Phrases

  • investigate a slaying
  • report a slaying
  • describe the slaying

Prepositions

  • the slaying of

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Built from the verb 'slay' and the noun-forming suffix '-ing'. 'Slay' comes from Old English 'slean', meaning 'to strike or kill'. In modern English, 'slaying' is mostly used as a formal noun in crime reporting, headlines, and dramatic narration.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined above