bash
Americanverb (used with object)
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to strike with a crushing or smashing blow.
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Chiefly British, Canadian. to hurl harsh verbal abuse at.
noun
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a crushing blow.
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Informal. a thoroughly enjoyable, lively party.
idioms
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on the bash, working as a prostitute.
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have a bash (at), to attempt; make an attempt.
verb
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(tr) to strike violently or crushingly
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(tr; often foll by in, down, etc) to smash, break, etc, with a crashing blow
to bash a door down
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to crash (into); collide (with)
to bash into a lamppost
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to dent or be dented
this tin is bashed
this cover won't bash easily
noun
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a heavy blow, as from a fist
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a dent; indentation
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a party
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informal to make an attempt
Usage
What does bash mean? Bash means "to strike" something with great force. It's been adopted as slang for hurling insults or verbal abuse at someone. A bash is also an older slang term for "a wild party."
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bash
First recorded in 1635–45; perhaps of expressive origin
Explanation
To bash is to hit something hard. You might stand up suddenly on a sailboat and bash your head on the mast. Marching band drummers bash their drums with mallets, and terrible drivers bash their bumpers into trees. You can also figuratively bash another person by saying terribly critical things about her. When bash is a noun, it means either "a hard hit or blow," or "a loud, festive party:" "Welcome to my bash! Don't bash your head on the piñata."
Vocabulary lists containing bash
Party Parlance for Mardi Gras
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But also forgotten by those who bash tech billionaires: Making productive realtors, waitresses, plumbers, doctors, bakers and candlestick makers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
“We’re not here to bash people if they ask a stupid question,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
The prestigious property boasts seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, a sophisticated office, and a lavish ballroom built for hosting the bash of Trudeau’s dreams.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026
There are references to Andrew's previous birthdays in the Epstein files, such as a glitzy bash for his 50th at St James's Palace.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
This same mirror must have seen her descend the stairs like this on dozens of occasions, on her way to one more friends afternoon birthday bash.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
