Meaning & use

slaughter

noun·Everyday

Last updated

The killing of animals for food, or the brutal, indiscriminate killing of a large number of people.

See it in a sentence

The farm was licensed for the humane slaughter of livestock.

Historians described the battle as a senseless slaughter of young soldiers.

A note on using this word

Also used as a verb; in casual speech it can even mean a lopsided defeat in a game or contest, as in "we got slaughtered."

Words with a similar meaning

massacrecarnage

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To defeat someone decisively, especially in a game or competition.

Our team got slaughtered 6-0 in the final match.

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