bash

1 of 3

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 3

noun (1)

1

: a forceful blow

2

: a festive social gathering : party

3

chiefly British : try, attempt

have a bash at it

basher

3 of 3

noun (2)

bash·​er

ˈba-shər

plural -s

: one that bashes

especially, chiefly Australia : a criminal who beats and robs people

Synonyms of bash

Verb

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

Noun (1)

• 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 (1)

We threw her a birthday bash.

She gave me a bash on the head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

His stance has drawn scrutiny in a city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel, while at times some on the far-left have bashed him for not doing enough to hold Israel to account. — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Kiley mostly bashed Pan for his years voting alongside the Democratic Party while in the California Legislature, including a 2017 vote to raise the state’s gas tax. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Noun

The bash, organized by the US-Ireland Alliance, is scheduled for March 11 at the Ebell theater in Los Angeles in its traditional evening spot three days before the Academy Awards. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

More recently, over the summer, FunDimension was World Cup watch party central, hosting bashes for various matches with soccer stars including Paul Pogba in attendance. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (1)

noun derivative of bash entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1744, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

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