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/slā/slei/ (verb)
1. "To kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers” (Webster's Dictionary)
The knight slays the dragon
2. To impress, entertain, or please someone
Blake Lively slays the red carpet with a dramatic dress transformation inspired by Lady Liberty at the 2022 Met Gala.
The first known definition of the word "slay" stems from Old English, meaning to kill a person. That was until about the 1920s when the word got it's first updated meaning. People used the term when someone would greatly amuse them and overwhelm them with positive emotion, "commonly expressed as You slay me!" (Dictionary.com).
Then in the 1970s and 1980s, the origin of many popular slang terms in todays culture, the black, latinx, and queer ballrooms adopted the term to refer to fashion, to slay a look. The ballrooms "allowed black, queer, and latinx people to express themselves openly and safely and, consequently, gave birth to many terms like 'slay', 'work', and 'queen'"(The UNISVerse).
From there, slay continued to be used to describe stunning looks and positive vibes. The term then entered the main media in the "1991 ‘Paris is Burning,’ which chronicled NYC’s drag culture and vogueing competitions” (Daily Californian).
It did not stop there. After "RuPaul’s Drag Race brought drag culture into millions of living rooms starting in 2009”(Dictionary.com) the word gained more popularity.
Not much more could be done to make the word "slay" more popular, that was until the Queen B herself did something about it. One of the most influential people on the planet, Beyoncé, released the song "Formation" on her album Lemonade, where she sang the lyric "I slay" repeatedly. The official music video was released on YouTube “on December 9th, 2016, where it went on to get over 280 million views in five years ”(Know Your Meme). The term carries on in today's culture to refer to someone who is killing it, whether it be literally or not, and most likely referring to fashion or personality
Works Cited
Works Cited
Aspen, Lauren von. “The Origins of ‘Slay.’” The Daily Californian, 26 June 2022,
https://dailycal.org/2022/06/26/the-origins-of-slay.
“Blake Lively Met Gala Dress Reveal.” YouTube, YouTube, 2 May 2022,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Ps7MYB2bI.
Brandon. “Slay (Slang).” Know Your Meme, Know Your Meme, 6 Oct. 2022,
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/slay-slang.
“Easy as 123 on TikTok.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRwM4BSw/.
Giphy. “Beyonce I Slay GIF - Find & Share on Giphy.” GIPHY, GIPHY, 4 Sept. 2020,
https://giphy.com/gifs/justin-beyonce-slay-i-3o6gb7cN7bwDxAbnS8.
“Jackie on TikTok.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRwMWLC3/.
Khemani, Nikhil. “‘Slay!".” The UNISVerse, https://theunisverse.com/2626/showcase/slay/.
“Mistermainer on TikTok.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRwMbPwk/.
Skeletampire. “Shea Coulee Slay Gif - Shea Coulee Slay Im Black - Discover & Share Gifs.” Tenor,
Tenor, 25 June 2020, https://tenor.com/view/shea-coulee-slay-im-black-chicago-drag-rpdr-gif-17607244.
“Slay Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-
“Slay Meaning & Origin.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 19 Jan. 2021,
https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/slay/.
“What's Poppin? with Davis! on Tiktok.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRwMSp3X/.
How the Creater Slays her Day Away!
How the Creater Slays her Day Away!
Get to know your author! Alexis Hazelton was born and raised in Folsom, California. She is a huge adrenaline junky who loves the outdoors and annoying her boyfriend. Alexis is a current student at Sacramento City College studying to become a nurse. She participated in the first ever womens wrestling season for the CCCAA and placed second in her weight class, earning herself an All-American status for the second time! Alexis also enjoys mixed martial arts specifically muay thai, jiu jitsu, and wrestling. She was on the roster for the 2021 USA Youth National team and went on to earn a bronze medal at the 2021 Youth World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Alexis is currently employed at Dutch Bros coffee shop where she consume copious amounts of caffeine and chases the bag. She continues to slay today, tomorrow, and always!
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