Slew vs. Slain
For the traditional irregular verb “slay” in its “kill” sense, “slew” is the simple past and “slain” is the past participle. This guide does not extend that historical paradigm mechanically to every newer informal use of “slay.”
For the traditional irregular “slay” meaning “kill,” use “slew” for the simple past and “slain” as the past participle.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Sentence need | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| simple past | slew | The sentence uses slew as the simple-past form of “slay.” |
| past participle after have/has/had | slain | The sentence uses slain after an auxiliary. |
Further guidance
Core difference
“Slew” is the simple-past form of “slay”; “slain” is the past participle used with auxiliaries such as have, has, or had.
Fast Test
If have, has, or had directly governs the form of “slay,” choose “slain.” For a standalone finite past-tense verb, choose “slew.”
Scope Boundary
This guide is scoped to the traditional “kill” sense documented with the irregular forms slew and slain; newer informal senses can follow different usage patterns.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- SLAY — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence for traditional slay / slew / slain verb forms and sense scope