slayer
One who kills
A slayer is one who kills, especially in a violent or dramatic fashion.
The word carries a literary or archaic tone in literal use: the slayer of dragons, the slayer of kings.
In contemporary usage, slayer often appears figuratively or humorously: a lady-killer is a slayer of hearts.
In slang, to slay is to impress or overwhelm, making a slayer someone who excels spectacularly.
One who unlawfully kills
- assassinPaid murderer of targets
- executionerOne who kills condemned
- hitmanProfessional paid murderer
- butcherOne who sells cuts
exterminator · terminator · eliminator · destroyer · liquidator · gunman · cutthroat · regicide
Top competitor, or advocate
- saviorOne who rescues another
- warriorOne skilled in combat
- knightHonored mounted soldier
- defenderOne who guards another
protector · avenger · liberator · paladin · guardian · vanquisher · hero · rescuer
Freshwater cnidarian polyp
- basiliskReptile that kills by looking
- gorgonSnake-haired petrifying she-beast
- medusaFree-swimming cnidarian form
- vampireBlood-drinking undead creature
werewolf · demon · monster · beast · Beowulf · Perseus · Siegfried · St. George
murderer
One who unlawfully kills
- assassinPaid murderer of targets
- executionerOne who kills condemned
- hitmanProfessional paid murderer
butcher · exterminator · terminator · eliminator · destroyer · liquidator · gunman · cutthroat · regicide · patricide
champion
Top competitor, or advocate
defender · protector · avenger · liberator · paladin · guardian · vanquisher · hero · rescuer · crusader
hydra
Freshwater cnidarian polyp
- basiliskReptile that kills by looking
- gorgonSnake-haired petrifying she-beast
- medusaFree-swimming cnidarian form
vampire · werewolf · demon · monster · beast · Beowulf · Perseus · Siegfried · St. George · Buffy
thrash
Beat violently or defeat utterly
moshpit · Metallica · Megadeth · Anthrax · distortion · shred · drums · amplifier · heavy · volume
predator
Organism that consumes others
archer · sniper · trapper · quarry · pursuit · prey · bloodhound · bounty · gamekeeper · falconer
- monster slayersvampire hunter, werewolf hunter, troll hunter, Van Helsing, Buffy
- Dragon SlayingSaint George, Siegfried, Beowulf, Sigurd, sword
- attackersaggressor, assailant, attacker, assaulter, ambusher
- WhedonverseBuffy, Buffy Summers, Angel, Spike, Willow
- warriorsfighter, knight, footsoldier, barbarian, samurai
- Assassinsassassin, hitman, John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, Brutus
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- dragon slayerOne who kills legendary reptiles
- giant slayerVanquisher of the massive
- vampire slayerOne who destroys undead
- dragon slayingKilling legendary serpentine monsters
- demon slayerHunter of evil spirits
slay, slaying, slays, slayed, dragonslayer, manslayer, slayers