impaler

One who pierces

One who impales—pierces with a stake or sharp object.

The word appears most often in reference to Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Romanian prince notorious for executing enemies on wooden stakes.

Outside historical contexts, impaler typically describes vampires, monsters, or weapons in horror and fantasy fiction: The creature earned its name as an impaler of unwary travelers.

weapon

stake

Sharpened post or share

  • spearPole with sharp point
  • pikeLong battlefield spear
  • lanceLong thrusting weapon

spike · skewer · halberd · javelin · trident · bayonet · pole · shaft · point · barb

horror

vampire

Blood-drinking undead creature

count · nightmare · macabre · gruesome · monster · creature · fangs · coffin · haunting · sinister

vlad

ottoman

Backless cushioned seat

tyrant · nobility · warlord · cruelty · stakes · punishment · folklore · historical · boyars · siege

Opposites
method of killing/violence

impalerstrangler

One who kills by constriction

poisoner · burner · drowner · crusher · beheader

role in violence

impalerhealer

One who restores health

savior · protector · liberator · rescuer · life-giver

Phrases
Family

impale, impaled, impalement, impales, impaling, impalers

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG-13