flog

flog

verb \ˈfläg\

floggedflog·ging

Definition of FLOG

transitive verb

1

a : to beat with or as if with a rod or whip

b : to criticize harshly

2

: to force or urge into action : drive

3

a chiefly British : to sell (as stolen goods) illegally <flogged their employers' petrol to ordinary motorists — Economist>

b : sell 7 <traveled by horse, flogging encyclopedias — Robert Darnton>

c : to promote aggressively : plug <flying around the world flogging your movies — Peter Bogdanovich>

4

British : steal 1

intransitive verb

1

: flap, flutter <sails flogging>

2

British : to move along with difficulty : slog

— flog·ger noun

Examples of FLOG

1. The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
2. <a graphic depiction of a sailor being flogged by the captain for disobeying orders>

Origin of FLOG

perhaps modification of Latin flagellare to whip — more at flagellate

First Known Use: circa 1676

Related to FLOG

Synonyms

birch, cowhide, flagellate, flail, whip, hide, horsewhip, lash, leather, rawhide, scourge, slash, switch, tan, thrash, whale

Antonyms

breeze, coast, glide, slide, waltz, whisk

Related Words

knout, quirt, strap; cut; flick, touch up; blackjack, cane, club, cudgel, fustigate; pistol-whip; bang, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clout, crack, cuff, hit, knock, lam, paste, punch, slap, slug, smack, smite, sock, spank, swat, swipe, thwack, wallop, whack; bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, bludgeon, buffet, bung, drub, fib [British], hammer, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lather, lick, mangle, maul, paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, rough, slate, slog, thresh, thump, tromp, whop (or whap), whup, work over

Near Antonyms

drift, float, hang, hover, poise, waft

Rhymes with FLOG

blog, bog, clog, cog, fog, frog, grog, hog, jog, log, nog, Prague, prog, quag, shog, slog, smog, tog