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slay queen

slay queen

9.9
A woman who wears bold clothes and shows great confidence
  • noun
  • /sleɪ kwiːn/
  • South African
translation icon : reina del estilo
  • Everyone knew her as the slay queen of Instagram because of her bold outfits and flawless makeup.

Examples

  • She walked into the club like a true slay queen, turning heads wherever she went.

  • At her birthday party, all eyes were on the slay queen in her dazzling red dress.

  • She is a true slay queen with her stunning outfits.

  • Look at her! What a slay queen she is!

  • At her birthday party, all eyes were on the slay queen in her dazzling red dress.

  • Everyone knew her as the slay queen of Instagram because of her bold outfits and flawless makeup.

  • She walked into the club like a true slay queen, turning heads wherever she went.

Antonyms

683 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

9 3.9

Not very good or likely to attract attention

How Stylish

slay queen
  • South African
9.9
fashionista
  • Informal
9 4.9

Surface Forms

slay queen singular
slay queens plural

Morphology

slay + queen

The meaning is directly built from 'slay' (to greatly impress) combined with 'queen' (a preeminent woman) — essentially 'a woman who slays' or impresses others. Although informal/slang, this follows a straightforward compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the MWE's sense.

Etymology

The slang slay queen may come from the verb slay, which in modern slang means 'to do very well' or 'to kill it', and the word queen, meaning a confident, powerful woman. So the image is of a woman who 'kills it' with her style and confidence, and that's why the phrase means someone who impresses others with her fashion or attitude.