Street voices
Janna
·
United States
"Slay. This is basically just used as a term of encouragement to another person, you know, when they made an accomplishment or they're dressed nice or whatever, or, you know, they did something to change their look or whatnot, just in general. Words of encouragement for, you know, something that they've done with their looks or just in general. An example would be, ooh, I love that blue dress you got. Slay."
Haley
·
United States
"Did you see her outfit today? It absolutely slayed. I am American, I'm from the United States. The definition of slay means that you nailed it. You look amazing. You're confident, iconic, things like that. So your makeup slays, she slayed that performance. Okay, outfit slay."
What it means
To absolutely nail something, look incredible, or perform beyond expectations. Born in Black and drag culture but now mainstream all over. When someone slays, they are not just good, they are untouchable. It covers everything from a killer outfit to crushing a job interview with zero nerves and maximum attitude.
Usage examples
"Girl walked into the meeting, presented those numbers, and slayed it so hard they gave her the promotion on the spot"
"She walked out in that handmade dress, hit every note in the audition, and absolutely slayed it in front of the whole panel."
"You didn't just pass that interview, you slayed and left the whole room obsessed."
"Her hair, the boots, the attitude, yeah she slayed from the second she walked in."
"You didn't just do the presentation, babe, you slayed and had the whole office pretending they're not shook."
Where it comes from
It comes from the standard verb slay, meaning to kill. In Black queer culture, especially ballroom and drag spaces, it got remixed into a big shiny compliment for someone who destroyed a look or performance in the best possible way. From there, pop culture, stan speech, and social media blasted it into everyday English.
Other ways to say it
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