banged; banging; bangs
1
: to strike sharply : bump
banged his knee
2
: to knock, hit, or thrust vigorously often with a sharp noise
banged the door shut
3
vulgar slang
: to have sexual intercourse with
1
: to strike with a sharp noise or thump
2
: to produce a sharp often metallic explosive or percussive noise or series of such noises
3
: to play a sport (such as basketball) in a very aggressive and forceful manner
bang for rebounds
1
: a resounding blow
2
: a sudden loud noise
—often used interjectionally
3
a
: a sudden striking effect
b
: a quick burst of energy
start off with a bang
c
: thrill
I get a bang out of all this …—
W. H. Whyte
W. H. Whyte4
vulgar slang
a
: an act of copulation
b
: a sexual partner
5
informal
: exclamation point
see also bang for the buck
plural bangs
US
: the front section of a person's hair when it is cut short and worn over the forehead
—usually used in plural
wore her bangs short
She had long hair with bangs.
In person, Miss Chin is small and pretty, with black button eyes, fluffy black bangs and dimples that show when she giggles …—Helen Lawrenson
Helen Lawrenson
banged; banging; bangs
: to cut (hair) short and squarely across
Examples of bang in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the toy car banged into the wall and stopped
idly banged trees with a stick
stomped off to his room and banged the door
Noun (1)
delivered a sharp bang that rattled the door
a sudden bang made the cat jump
tried to get the most bang for her money at the attractions at the county fair
Adverb
The show began bang on time.
the reform movement was just beginning when it bang ran into opposition
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
On Friday, Cuban independent journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez was sentenced to six years in prison for participating in a peaceful protest banging pots during a blackout in Villa Clara, a province in central Cuba.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Terry Collins, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Clouds of chemical irritants were visible and flash bangs could be heard in late morning.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bang
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Verb
The float at the front of the line featured Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy with Mickey waving the flag, Goofy banging a drum, and Donald on flute, a giant eagle looming over them from behind.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
On Friday, Cuban independent journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez was sentenced to six years in prison for participating in a peaceful protest banging pots during a blackout in Villa Clara, a province in central Cuba.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Booming flash bangs and fireworks rattled the frigid windows of Michelle Gross’ home in North Minneapolis.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Clouds of chemical irritants were visible and flash bangs could be heard in late morning.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bang
Cite this Entry
“Bang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bang. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bang
1 of 4 verb
: to beat, strike, or shut with a loud noise
bang
2 of 4 noun1
: a violent blow
2
: a sudden loud noise
3
a
: a quick burst of energy
start off with a bang
b
: a feeling of being thrilled or pleased
you'll get a bang out of this
bang
3 of 4 noun
: hair cut short across the forehead
—usually used in plural
bang
4 of 4 verb
: to cut (front hair) short and squarely across
Etymology
Verb
probably of Scandinavian origin
Noun
probably from earlier bangtail "a short tail (on a horse)"
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