thrash

1 of 2

verb

ˈthrash 

thrashed; thrashing; thrashes

transitive verb

1

a

: to beat soundly with or as if with a stick or whip : flog

b

: to defeat decisively or severely

thrashed the visiting team

2

: to swing, beat, or strike in the manner of a rapidly moving flail

thrashing his arms

3

a

: to go over again and again

thrash the matter over inconclusively

b

: to hammer out : forge

thrash out a plan

4

: to separate the seeds of from the husks and straw by beating : thresh sense 1

intransitive verb

1

: to move or stir about violently : toss about

thrash in bed with a fever

2

: to deal blows or strokes like one using a flail or whip

3

: thresh sense 1

thrash

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of thrashing

2

: rock music (such as heavy metal or punk rock) that is extremely fast and loud

Synonyms of thrash

Verb

• bury
• whip
• beat
• overcome
• throw
• bomb
• upset
• smother
• rout
• annihilate
• master
• flatten
• dust
• clobber
• blow away
• trounce
• trim
• cream
• smoke
• skin
• drub
• overwhelm
• take

Choose the Right Synonym for thrash

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down.

swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

Examples of thrash in a Sentence

Verb

He thrashed me with his belt.

The team thrashed them last week.

Something was thrashing wildly in the water.

She thrashed around in her sleep.

Noun

The shark swam away with a thrash of its tail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

After thrashing Real España by five goals on the Honduran club’s home field last week, the Los Angeles Football Club was nearly guaranteed to advance to the next stage of the continental tournament. —Josh Gross, Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026

The Thursday before that, they were thrashed 4-0 at Atletico Madrid in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg — a defeat that prompted significant self-criticism and reflection on their style of play. —Pol Ballús, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026

Noun

Mustaine is revered as one of the pioneers of thrash metal, a subgenre that combines the breakneck velocity of early American hardcore bands such as Circle Jerks and Misfits with the precision and power of British metal groups like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. —Jon Wiederhorn, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

With his final studio album, Dave Mustaine closes the curtains on a thrash metal institution without the communal gravitas of a proper farewell. —Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of thresh

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thrash

• thrash out

Rhymes for thrash

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

Kids Definition

thrash

verb

ˈthrash

1

: thresh sense 1

2

a

: to strike forcefully especially with a long instrument (as a whip) : flog

b

: to defeat decisively or severely

thrashed the visiting team

3

: to move or stir about violently

something was thrashing wildly in the water

4

: to go over again and again

thrash the matter over

thrash out a plan