bash

1 of 2

verb

ˈbash 

bashed; bashing; bashes

transitive verb

1

: to strike violently : hit

also : to injure or damage by striking : smash

—often used with in

2

: to attack physically or verbally

media bashing

celebrity bashing

intransitive verb

: crash

basher noun

bash

2 of 2

noun

1

: a forceful blow

2

: a festive social gathering : party

3

chiefly British : try, attempt

have a bash at it

Phrases

bash away

British, informal

: to work hard at something

That is exactly what I tell myself as I bash away in the gym …

—Jay Rayner

bash on

British, informal

: to continue to work at something : carry on

… I'm a lot less sure about what I'm meant to be, or do, in a time of undeniable middle age. I guess I will just bash on as ever, and hope I don't appear too ridiculous as I do so.

—Becky Sheaves

bash out

British, informal

: to produce (something) quickly : bang out

Three years ago Piaggio disappointed enthusiasts by axing the retro Vespa's production. But Indian company LML continued to bash out copies that flew out of the dealers, especially in Italy …

—Harriet Ridley

bash up

chiefly British, informal

: to attack (someone) physically : to hit (someone) repeatedly

Umpires being lampooned or even bashed up [=beaten up] in schools, college and league cricket is hardly rare.

—Ayaz Memon

Synonyms

Verb

• bump
• slam
• bang
• smash
• collide
• hit
• knock
• crash
• ram

Noun

• blow
• slap
• hit
• thump
• punch
• swipe
• knock
• whack
• thud
• slam
• smack
• poke
• bang
• stroke
• pound
• spank
• lick
• beat

Examples of bash in a Sentence

Verb

I bashed my arm against the door.

Someone bashed him over the head with a chair.

They tried to bash the door open.

Noun

We threw her a birthday bash.

She gave me a bash on the head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

During their gladiator throwdown, Cam bashes his idol to death with a football helmet. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025

As Extinct Animals notes, one such attempt was quashed when a lone stallion killed itself after losing its temper and bashing its own head into a wall. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Noun

When a person turns 70, the milestone calls for a momentous birthday bash. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025

Black Rabbit begins in medias res with an audacious jewelry robbery at a loud, underlit bash at the Brooklyn eatery that gives the show its name. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

Noun

noun derivative of bash entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1744, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bash

• beat/bash someone's brains out/in
• have a bash

Rhymes for bash

• ash
• brash
• cache
• cash
• clash
• crash
• dash
• flash
• gash
• hash
• lash
• mash

Kids Definition

bash

verb

ˈbash

1

: to strike violently : beat

2

: to smash by a blow

3

: crash entry 1 sense 1a