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 | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| standalone simple past in the traditional “kill” sense | slew | Use the simple-past form. |
| past participle after have/has/had | slain | Use the past participle. |
| past participle in a passive construction | slain | Use the participle with the auxiliary. |
| newer informal sense of “slay” | check that sense separately | Do not extend this traditional irregular paradigm mechanically to every modern use. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the sentence require a past participle in the traditional “kill” sense?
If yes: Use “slain.”
If no: Use “slew” for a standalone simple-past verb in that traditional sense.
Caveat: This guide is intentionally limited to the traditional/literary “kill” sense of “slay.”
Examples
In the tale, the hero slew the serpent.
“Slew” is the standalone simple-past form.
The serpent had been slain before dawn.
“Slain” is the past participle in the perfect passive construction.
The creature was slain at the end of the story.
“Slain” functions as a past participle in the passive voice.
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