Synonyms for

Slaughter

Verb / ˈslɔ:tɜ: / Another word for slaughter — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

to kill animals for food; to kill a large number of people

Synonyms & similar words

drubbing whipping butchery thrashing walloping carnage debacle mowdown butcher massacre massmurder trouncing butcher massacre kill annihilate eliminate execute exterminate destroy murder assassinate dispatch waste decimate eradicate liquidate neutralize slay terminate

Synonyms by register

Formal

massacre butchery annihilation extermination

Informal

offing doing in wiping out knocking off

Literary

carnage havoc slaying

Antonyms

save protect preserve cherish spare conserve

Common collocations

  • animal slaughter
  • mass slaughter
  • brutal slaughter
  • human slaughter
  • slaughter house
  • slaughter the enemy
  • slaughter of innocents

Word family

noun slaughter
verb slaughter
adjective slaughtered

Usage note

Often used to describe the killing of large numbers of animals or people, typically in a violent and indiscriminate manner. Connotes extreme brutality and waste.

Example sentences

  1. The farmer will slaughter the cow for meat.
  2. The soldiers planned to slaughter the enemy army.
  3. The hunter will slaughter the deer for his family.
  4. The serial killer wants to slaughter more victims.
  5. The chef will slaughter the fish for sushi.

Quotes

  • The slaughter of innocents is always a tragedy.
  • The sight of the slaughterhouse made me a vegetarian.
  • The history of human civilization is marked by slaughter and war.

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