banger

noun

bang·​er ˈbaŋ-ər 

1

British : sausage

2

British : firecracker

3

British : jalopy

4

informal : a forceful and aggressive athlete

… Williamson, the 6-7, 245-pound forward, is a versatile banger who loves to play inside and has a deft shooting touch.

—William C. Phoden

5

slang : a member of a street gang : gangbanger

He is disciplined, regimented, right down to the humiliating yet soothing ritual of picking up after his dog as he walks through the hood, past scornful young bangers …

—Mike Newirth

6

slang : an energetic song that is very striking or extraordinary

… it's a near-perfect hip-hop album … loaded with hardcore bangers, pop-friendly hooks, party anthems and confessional lyrics …

—Chuck Arnold

7

informal : an automobile or engine with a specified number of cylinders

—used in combination

When he first started driving Toyotas, they were four-bangers or V-6s …

—Jerry Garrett

Synonyms of banger

• sausage

Examples of banger in a Sentence

bangers and mash is classic British pub cuisine

Recent Examples on the Web

Because last night, unexpectedly, was a banger, led by a team that went 0-12 last year. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

This week, Miley (née Cyrus) pivots back to glitzy dance bangers, Adéla lives out her pop princess fantasy on the standout track from her debut album, and Beyoncé adds Selena to the Spanish version of a B’Day favorite. — Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026

Alien video games are in a good spot right now thanks to bangers like Aliens Dark Descent and Fireteam Elite 2, but nothing has hit quite like Creative Assembly's 2014 survival horror classic. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026

While Cannes has been far more sporadic in its support of the form, and Berlin tends to offer quantity at the expense of quality, Venice has consistently brought the bangers — and the 2026 selection looks to be among its best yet. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for banger

• ganger
• hangar
• hanger