1
: the act of killing
specifically
: the butchering of livestock for market
2
: killing of great numbers of human beings (as in battle or a massacre) : carnage
slaughtered; slaughtering; slaughters
1
: to kill (animals) for food : butcher
3
: to discredit, defeat, or demolish completely
Synonyms
Examples of slaughter in a Sentence
Noun
the slaughter of innocent people
all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter
Verb
Our team got slaughtered yesterday.
modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day
Recent Examples on the Web
Reuters, CNN, 2 July 2024
The initial disagreement turns into a slaughter that will be known as the Battle of the Burning Mill.
—Lauren Morgan, EW.com, 1 July 2024
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
In response, the U.S. Army arrived and slaughtered hundreds of men, women and children in what became known as the Bloody Island Massacre.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for slaughter 
Noun
Canberra, Australia — Good luck getting a late-morning McMuffin in Australia.
McDonald’s has cut breakfast service timings by 90 minutes, the company said, after a shortage of eggs caused by bird flu outbreaks that have led to the slaughter of about 1.5 million chickens.
—Reuters, CNN, 2 July 2024
The initial disagreement turns into a slaughter that will be known as the Battle of the Burning Mill.
—Lauren Morgan, EW.com, 1 July 2024
Verb
There have been almost 40 victims over the span of three decades, but the awful story is always the same: A good, vanilla, church-going father in the suburbs of Oregon abruptly snaps without provocation, slaughtering his wife and their young children before taking his own life in similar fashion.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
In response, the U.S. Army arrived and slaughtered hundreds of men, women and children in what became known as the Bloody Island Massacre.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for slaughter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slaughter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near slaughter
Cite this Entry
“Slaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaughter. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slaughter
1 of 2 noun
slaugh·ter
ˈslȯt-ər 
1
: the act of killing
especially
: the butchering of livestock for market
2
: destruction of human lives in large numbers (as in war or a massacre)
slaughter
2 of 2 verbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share