What Does Slay Mean in Slang? The Ballroom Origin
To slay, in slang, is to do something exceptionally well or impressively: a performance, an outfit, a tough presentation. The word also works as a one-word cheer (“slay!”) and as a noun or adjective. Dictionary.com traces this slang meaning of slay to Black, Latinx and queer ball culture of the 1970s and 1980s, decades before it went mainstream. Checked against Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary (entry dated 18 Oct 2018)
Here are three current dictionary definitions, a dated timeline, the slayed-or-slew question and how to use the word without flattening where it came from. Slay also has a short entry in our social media glossary.
What Does Slay Mean in Slang?
In slang, slay means to do something exceptionally well or to be exceptionally impressive, and on its own, “slay!” is a cheer used to mean “great” or even “thank you.” Three current dictionaries record it:
- Merriam-Webster gives two informal senses: “to delight or amuse immensely” and “to do something or perform exceptionally well or impressively : to be exceptionally impressive.” Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- Cambridge Dictionary has the informal sense “to impress someone very much or to be very good or impressive” and the slang sense “to be extremely good or nice.” It also lists slay as a slang noun, adjective and exclamation, the exclamation used to mean “great” or “thank you.” Checked against Cambridge Dictionary
- Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries gives two informal senses: to have a strong effect on somebody, especially to make them laugh, and “to be very impressive or successful.” Checked against Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
Merriam-Webster and Oxford both list an amuse-or-make-laugh sense beside the praise sense, a clue to the word’s history.
Where Slay Comes From: A Timeline
Dictionary.com traces today’s slay meaning in slang to Black, Latinx and queer ball culture of the 1970s and 1980s, where slaying meant an outfit, hair, makeup, dance moves and attitude were all flawless. From there, it says, the word spread through gay culture, fashion and drag before going mainstream in 2016.
| When | What slay meant, or where it went |
|---|---|
| 1800s (possibly) | Dictionary.com says there is “some evidence” it meant looking attractively fashionable |
| 1920s | To make someone laugh very hard, as in “You slay me!“ |
| 1970s and 80s | In Black, Latinx and queer ball culture: an outfit, hair, makeup, dance moves and attitude that were all flawless; from there it spread through gay culture, fashion and drag |
| 1991 | Featured in the documentary Paris Is Burning |
| From 2009 | A boost from RuPaul’s Drag Race |
| 2016 | Mainstream, with Beyoncé |
Checked against Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary (entry dated 18 Oct 2018).
Checked against Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary (entry dated 18 Oct 2018).
That history is why the word carries a caution for brands, covered below.
Is It Slayed or Slew?
Both are recorded. Merriam-Webster gives slew as the past tense of slay, with slayed also used, especially in the “delight or amuse” sense. Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary
If “slew” sounds too much like a dragon story for a compliment, the present tense sidesteps the question: “you slay,” “she’s slaying it.”
Is Slay a Compliment? How People Use It
Yes: slay is praise, whether it’s aimed at a person, a performance or a thing. Cambridge lists it as a verb and as a slang noun, adjective and exclamation. Checked against Cambridge Dictionary
Some examples we wrote:
- Verb: “You slay in that suit.”
- Past tense, laugh sense: “That joke slayed me.”
- Exclamation: “Coffee’s on your desk.” “Slay, thank you!”
- Adjective: “That’s such a slay look.”
- Noun: “The finale was a total slay.”
- Under an OOTD post: “slay 🔥”
Captioning a confident photo of your own? Our self confidence captions and baddie captions have lines to start from.
The Literal Meaning: Why Context Matters
The original sense of slay is to kill violently, and it hasn’t gone anywhere. Merriam-Webster defines it as “to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers,” and Cambridge notes the word is used, mainly in US newspapers, to mean murder. Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Cambridge Dictionary
The same word can be praise in a comment and a crime in a headline, so never reply “slay” under news about violence or loss, and read the post before you cheer.
Should Brands Say Slay?
Only if it already fits your voice, and only with respect for where it came from. Dictionary.com notes that slay has gone mainstream but originated in Black, queer culture, which may see insensitive or glib uses of the term as appropriative. Checked against Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary
Some practical rules:
- Match your audience. If your followers and your team already talk this way, “slay” in a reply can sound natural. If not, it reads as borrowed.
- Skip the one-off trend grab. Dropping it in once to look current can come across as the kind of glib use Dictionary.com cautions against.
- Name the culture when you celebrate it. Posts about drag or ballroom can credit the community instead of only borrowing its words.
- Keep it out of serious posts. Given the literal sense, leave it out of news, safety notices and apologies.
Followers in one place may cheer a “slay” that followers somewhere else would scroll past, so a launch post shared across networks can need a version for each audience.
Related Slang
Compare slay with ate in our glossary, and read what girlie means and what extra means before pairing either with slay in a caption; each has its own tone and history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is slay a compliment?
Yes. Merriam-Webster records an informal sense of slay meaning to do something or perform exceptionally well or impressively, and Cambridge Dictionary lists slay as a slang exclamation used to mean ‘great’ or ‘thank you’. Read the context, though: the original sense of slay is to kill violently.
Where did the slang ‘slay’ come from?
Dictionary.com traces the praise sense to Black, Latinx and queer ball culture of the 1970s and 1980s, where slaying meant an outfit, hair, makeup, dance moves and attitude were all flawless. It says the word featured in the 1991 documentary Paris Is Burning, got a boost from RuPaul’s Drag Race from 2009 and went mainstream with Beyoncé in 2016.
Is it slayed or slew?
Both are recorded. Merriam-Webster gives slew as the past tense of slay, with slayed also used, especially in the ‘delight or amuse’ sense.
Is it OK to say slay?
Yes, with care. Dictionary.com notes that slay has gone mainstream but originated in Black, queer culture, which may see insensitive or glib uses of the term as appropriative. It fits best where it already matches how you and your audience talk.
What does ‘you slay’ mean?
‘You slay’ is praise: you’re doing something exceptionally well, or you look exceptionally impressive. ‘You slay me’ is the older sense, you make me laugh very hard, which Dictionary.com places in the 1920s.