pound

verb

pounded; pounding; pounds

transitive verb

1

: to reduce to powder or pulp by beating

wheat pounded into flour

2

a

: to strike heavily or repeatedly

waves pounding the shore

b

: to produce with or as if with repeated vigorous strokes

—usually used with out

pound out a story on the laptop

c

: to inculcate by insistent repetition : drive

Day after day the facts were pounded home to them …

—Ivy B. Priest

d

: to move, throw, or carry forcefully and aggressively

pound the ball down the field

3

: to move along heavily or persistently

horses pounding up the track

He pounded the streets/pavement looking for work.

4

: to drink or consume rapidly : slug

pound down some beers

intransitive verb

1

: to strike heavy repeated blows

2

: pulsate, throb

my heart was pounding

3

a

: to move with or make a heavy repetitive sound

b

: to work hard and continuously

—usually used with away

Synonyms of pound

• shuffle
• stomp
• stumble
• lump

Examples of pound in a Sentence

Heavy waves pounded the shore.

The metal is heated and then pounded into shape.

He got frustrated and started to pound the piano keys.

He pounded his fist on the table.

The boxers were really pounding each other.

Waves pounded against the side of the boat.

The wheat is pounded into flour.

Pound the herbs and garlic until they form a paste.

He came pounding down the stairs.

The horses pounded up the track.

Recent Examples on the Web

Go out there, pound the zone, make guys put the ball in play to get on base and limit the walk. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2026

If thickness varies greatly, pound to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. —Emily Weinstein, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026

Workers use sledgehammers to pound stakes for the big top, then toss the sledgehammers to each other in a sort of juggling routine. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026

The White Claw generation, used to pounding cans of seltzers at backyard barbecues and feeling nothing more than a light buzz, doesn’t yet seem to understand how to responsibly partake in these new products. —Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English pounen, from Old English pūnian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pound

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• foot-pound
• foot-pound-second
• in for a penny, in for a pound
• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• pound cake
• pound-foolish
• pound for pound
• 800-pound gorilla
• pound key
• pound mile
• pound net
• pound of flesh
• pound out
• pound sign
• pound the streets/pavement
• the pound

Rhymes for pound

• bound
• browned
• crowned
• downed
• drowned
• found
• frowned
• gowned
• ground
• hound
• mound
• round

Kids Definition

pound

1 of 4 noun

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

1

: any of various units of mass and weight

especially : a unit in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 ounces (about 0.454 kilograms) see measure

2

a

: the basic unit of money of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b

: any of several basic units of money (as of Egypt, Lebanon, or Syria)

c

: a coin or bill representing one pound

pound

2 of 4 noun

1

: a public enclosure for stray animals

the dog pound

2

: an enclosure within which fish or shellfish are caught or stored

pound

3 of 4 verb

1

: to crush to powder or pulp by beating

2

a

: to strike heavily or again and again

pound the piano

b

: to produce by pounding

pound out a tune on the piano

c

: drive entry 1 sense 1b

pound a nail

3

: to move heavily

the horses pounded along the lane

pounder noun

pound

4 of 4 noun

: an act or sound of pounding

Etymology

Old English pund "pound weight," from Latin pondo (same meaning)

Old English pund- "an enclosure for animals"

Old English pūnian "to beat into a powder"

Medical Definition

pound

noun

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

: any of various units of mass and weight: as

a

: a unit of troy weight equal to 12 troy ounces or 5760 grains or 0.3732417216 kilogram formerly used in weighing gold, silver, and a few other costly materials

called also troy pound

b

: a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.45359237 kilogram

called also avoirdupois pound