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

see also:

bash away bash on bash out bash up

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

Synonyms of bash

Verb

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

Noun

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

In a letter obtained by Variety on Monday, Tarantino called out Arquette for bashing his film. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026

Bonta’s move from the deep-blue state of California adds to the political backdrop swirling around big business, particularly Big Media at a time when President Trump himself regularly bashes mainstream entertainment and news outlets. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026

Noun

Check out the full list of this year’s biggest bashes. —Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026

But don’t forget the jam sessions, too, plus culture workshops and tasty food and drink that make this roots-music bash such down-home fun. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026

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

• bash away
• bash on
• bash out
• bash up
• 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