bash

1 of 2

verb

ˈbash 

bashed; bashing; bashes

transitive verb

1

: to strike violently : hit

also : to injure or damage by striking : smash

—often used with in

2

: to attack physically or verbally

media bashing

celebrity bashing

intransitive verb

: crash

basher noun

bash

2 of 2

noun

1

: a forceful blow

2

: a festive social gathering : party

3

chiefly British : try, attempt

have a bash at it

Phrases

bash away

British, informal

: to work hard at something

That is exactly what I tell myself as I bash away in the gym …

—Jay Rayner

bash on

British, informal

: to continue to work at something : carry on

… I'm a lot less sure about what I'm meant to be, or do, in a time of undeniable middle age. I guess I will just bash on as ever, and hope I don't appear too ridiculous as I do so.

—Becky Sheaves

bash out

British, informal

: to produce (something) quickly : bang out

Three years ago Piaggio disappointed enthusiasts by axing the retro Vespa's production. But Indian company LML continued to bash out copies that flew out of the dealers, especially in Italy …

—Harriet Ridley

bash up

chiefly British, informal

: to attack (someone) physically : to hit (someone) repeatedly

Umpires being lampooned or even bashed up [=beaten up] in schools, college and league cricket is hardly rare.

—Ayaz Memon

Synonyms

Verb

• bang
• bump
• collide
• crash
• hit
• impact
• impinge
• knock
• ram
• slam
• smash
• strike
• swipe
• thud

Noun

• bang
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of bash in a Sentence

Verb

I bashed my arm against the door.

Someone bashed him over the head with a chair.

They tried to bash the door open.

Noun

We threw her a birthday bash.

She gave me a bash on the head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Republicans had spent millions of dollars in a late ad blitz bashing vulnerable Democrats across the country for supporting transgender rights, even in cases where lawmakers had declined to do so. —Mike Lillis, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024

Where some liberals feared the film would be too kind to the president, just as many conservatives (including Trump himself) bashed the story as a bunch of fake news. —Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024

Noun

Moreno had at least one bash: at a dinner in London with fellow theater stars Patrick Wilson, Audra McDonald, Daniel Dae Kim and Aaron Tveit, who were all across the pond to sing at The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert, which featured Moreno as a surprise performer. —Eric Andersson, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

The model stepped out in Beverly Hills this weekend embracing the latter pushy material, her velvet skirt suit the ultimate inspiration for your next holiday bash. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

Noun

noun derivative of bash entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1744, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bash

• beat/bash someone's brains out/in
• have a bash

Kids Definition

bash

verb

ˈbash

1

: to strike violently : beat

2

: to smash by a blow

3

: crash entry 1 sense 1a