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Synonyms

axe

British  
/ æks /

noun

  1. a hand tool with one side of its head forged and sharpened to a cutting edge, used for felling trees, splitting timber, etc See also hatchet

    1. an ulterior motive

    2. a grievance

    3. a pet subject

  3. informal

    1. dismissal, esp from employment; the sack (esp in the phrase get the axe )

    2. severe cutting down of expenditure, esp the removal of unprofitable sections of a public service

  4. slang any musical instrument, esp a guitar or horn

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to chop or trim with an axe

  2. informal to dismiss (employees), restrict (expenditure or services), or terminate (a project)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of axe

Old English æx; related to Old Frisian axa, Old High German acchus, Old Norse öx, Latin ascia, Greek axinē

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Axe body spray is well aware of its reputation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

But later, her husband bought a bottle of Axe for him to use after tennis practice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Mallory Dodge, a stay-at-home mom in Georgia, was flooded with pungent memories of Axe when considering which starter cologne to buy her teenage son last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

It's currently developing new entries in long-dormant series such as arcade racer Crazy Taxi, hack-and-slash battler Golden Axe and the inline-skating-themed Jet Set Radio.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

According to Axe and Plouffe, who were buzzing in and out of the room, announcing what felt like every sliver of information they received, everything was unfolding as predicted.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.