slugger

noun slug·ger \ ˈslə-gər \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of slugger

: one that strikes hard or with heavy blows: such as

a : a prizefighter who punches hard but has usually little defensive skill

b : a hard-hitting batter in baseball

See slugger defined for English-language learners

See slugger defined for kids

Recent Examples of slugger from the Web

One of the greatest sluggers in league history... Batted over .300 nine seasons... Led AL in home runs four times.

— orion sang, Detroit Free Press, "Greatest Detroit Tigers player of all time? Vote now #DetroitGOAT," 11 June 2018
So, in 111 games over two seasons, the former slugger from Moeller and Anderson blasted 50 home runs.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "2018 MLB Draft: Which Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky current, ex-preps stars were selected?," 7 June 2018
No matter how many awe-inspiring home runs Giancarlo Stanton hits before concluding his fence-busting career, the former Marlins slugger will always be linked to Mike Fiers and one face-breaking pitch.

— craig davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Latest drama between Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Fiers shows feelings about 2014 beaning still linger," 5 June 2018
That ended a run of three straight years of college sluggers the Cubs took in the first round after Indiana’s Kyle Schwarber in 2014 and San Diego’s Kris Bryant in 2013.

— mark gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs select Stanford shortstop Nico Hoerner with 24th pick in MLB draft," 4 June 2018
Some of that is due to injuries, but perhaps the biggest reason is the performance of slugger Paul Goldschmidt.

— nick piecoro, azcentral, "Paul Goldschmidt's woes highlighted during Arizona Diamondbacks' struggles," 31 May 2018
The success of recent college sluggers transitioning smoothly into the big leagues — for example, the Astros' Alex Bregman, who was the second overall pick out of LSU in 2015 — has led to a premium recently on other top college hitting prospects.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Rangers' draft philosophy remains the same: Best available | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 25 May 2018
Crosetti was a teammate of Ruth's but wasn't a fan of the slugger, Salomon said.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Artist Tom Salomon creates colorful collages of baseball greats," 15 May 2018
Martinez is one of the most feared sluggers in baseball, while Franco is merely trying to prove he’s good enough to be part of the next great Phillies team.

— scott lauber, Philly.com, "Phillies hope Maikel Franco's power could be unlocked with one swing adjustment | Scott Lauber," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slugger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of slugger

1877

in the meaning defined above

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SLUGGER Defined for English Language Learners

slugger

noun

Definition of slugger for English Language Learners

: a boxer who punches hard
baseball : a batter who hits many home runs

SLUGGER Defined for Kids

slugger

noun slug·ger \ ˈslə-gər \

Definition of slugger for Students

: a boxer or baseball batter who hits hard

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See words that rhyme with slugger Nglish: Translation of slugger for Spanish speakers

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slugger

Definition of slugger

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Definition of slugger for English Language Learners

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slugger

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