What does slaughtered mean?
Slaughtered is the past tense and past participle of slaughter. Its literal meaning is to kill an animal, especially livestock, for food or processing. It can also describe the violent or indiscriminate killing of people, as in historical or wartime contexts. In sports and informal figurative use, a team or competitor that is slaughtered has been defeated very heavily. The word is common in British and American English, but its references to death and killing make it more emotionally forceful than the more general word killed. When used for animals, it may sound matter-of-fact in farming, food-production, or historical contexts; when used for people, it commonly conveys brutality, scale, and shock.
verbTo kill an animal for food, or to kill people or other beings in a violent or indiscriminate manner. It can also mean to defeat someone or a team very heavily.
- To kill animals for food or slaughter.
- To kill people or other beings in a violent or indiscriminate manner.
- To defeat someone or a team very heavily.
"The farmer slaughtered the sheep early in the morning."
"The animals were slaughtered under strict health and safety regulations."
"The visitors were slaughtered 5–0 in the second half of the match."
From the Old Norse word slátr, “slaughter” originally referred to the killing of livestock for food before extending to brutal mass killing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does slaughtered come from?
The word slaughter comes through Middle English from Old Norse slátr, meaning “a killing” or “slaughter.” Its deeper Germanic connections are related to words expressing the act of killing, including slay. The verb entered English in a context involving the killing of livestock and gradually developed its broader modern meanings concerning violent killing and total defeat.
Related word forms
How slaughtered is actually used
In its literal sense, the word is commonly associated with killing animals for food. When applied to people, it is strongly violent and often suggests a mass killing or indiscriminate death. In figurative sports usage, it means to be defeated comprehensively.