Meaning & use
slaughter
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
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.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slaughter”, then compare your use with the examples above.