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Sportswriters often use the word drub when a team they are covering is drubbed—that is, routed—but the term’s history reveals that it wasn’t always a sporting word. When drub was first used in English, it referred to a method of punishment that involved beating the soles of the accused’s feet with a stick or cudgel. The term was apparently brought to England in the 17th century by travelers who reported observing the punitive practice abroad. The ultimate origin of drub is uncertain, but the etymological culprit may be the Arabic word ḍaraba, meaning “to beat.” Over the centuries, drub developed the additional milder, and now more common, meanings of “to berate critically” and “to defeat decisively.”
Examples of drub in a Sentence
Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 7 June 2023
In the next round of the Open Cup, which was played on Wednesday night at Protective Stadium, Birmingham Legion FC drubbed Memphis 3-0. I’m often asked about the possibility of Birmingham Legion FC making the jump to Major League Soccer.
—Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 26 Jan. 2023
One of the primary reasons the Celtics were drubbed Monday at Madison Square Garden was the season-worst 3-point shooting performance.
—Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Feb. 2023
He was drubbed by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, who raised nearly $12 million.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drub
Cite this Entry
“Drub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drub. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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drub
verb
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