slam

1 of 3

verb

ˈslam 

slammed; slamming

transitive verb

1

: to shut forcibly and noisily : bang

2

a

: to set or slap down violently or noisily

slammed down the phone

b

: to propel, thrust, or produce by or as if by striking hard

slam on the brakes

slammed the car into a wall

3

: to strike or beat hard : knock

4

: to criticize harshly

intransitive verb

1

: to make a banging noise

2

: to function (as in moving) with emphatic and usually noisy vigor

the hurricane slammed into the coast

slammed out of the room

3

: to utter verbal abuse or harsh criticism

slam

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

a

: a noisy violent closing

b

: a banging noise

especially : one made by the slam of a door

2

: a heavy blow or impact

3

: a poetry competition performed before judges

4

: a cutting or violent criticism

5

: slammer

slam

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: grand slam

2

: little slam

Synonyms of slam

Verb

• shut
• lock
• bang

Noun (1)

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

Examples of slam in a Sentence

Verb

He slammed the door in my face.

She slammed the drawer shut.

He stepped inside and let the door slam behind him.

In her anger, she slammed the ball against the fence.

The car slid on the ice and slammed into a tree.

Her arm slammed against the table.

Noun (1)

gave the stubborn nail one last slam with the hammer

shut the door with a loud slam

sported a gang tattoo on his arm that had gotten him plenty of respect in the slam

the sudden slam of my head against the trunk of the car

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Just a Fever player slammed to the ground, a couple Aces free throws, and a couple zebras looking as clueless as ever. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Donalds’ speech ran the gamut of Republican campaign points, from slamming COVID lockdowns to border crossings. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Noun

The 16th slam in Yankees postseason history gave Rice six RBIs, matching the franchise record for a postseason game accomplished by four other players. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Lunch hour has its beginning and its ending, and somehow the whole teeming chaos of midcentury Midtown must be crammed within it, before the hour slams shut. — Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian slamre to bang, Swedish slamra to rattle

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1691, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun (1)

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing slam

• grand slam
• little slam
• slam-bang
• slam dunk
• slam/jam on the brakes

Rhymes for slam

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam

Kids Definition

slam

1 of 2 verb

slammed; slamming

1

: to strike or beat hard

2

: to shut with force and noise : bang

slammed the door

3

: to set or slap down violently or noisily

slammed the books down on the table

4

: to make a banging noise

5

: to criticize harshly

slam

2 of 2 noun

1

: a heavy blow

2

a

: a noisy violent closing

b

: a banging noise especially from the slamming of a door

3

: a cutting or violent criticism