bang

1
[ bang ]
See synonyms for bang on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a loud, sudden, explosive noise, as the discharge of a gun.

  2. a resounding stroke or blow: a nasty bang on the head.

  1. Informal. a sudden movement or show of energy: He started with a bang.

  2. energy; vitality; spirit: The bang has gone out of my work.

  3. Informal. sudden or intense pleasure; thrill; excitement: a big bang out of seeing movies.

  4. Slang: Vulgar. an act or instance of sexual intercourse.

  5. Printing and Computer Slang. an exclamation point.

verb (used with object)
  1. to strike or beat resoundingly; pound: to bang a door.

  2. to hit or bump painfully: to bang one's ankle on a chair leg.

  1. to throw or set down roughly; slam: He banged the plates on the table.

  2. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)
  1. to strike violently or noisily: to bang on the door.

  2. to make a loud, sudden, explosive noise like that of a violent blow: The guns banged all night.

  1. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.

adverb
  1. suddenly and loudly; abruptly or violently: She fell bang against the wall.

  2. precisely; directly; right: He stood bang in the middle of the flower bed.

Verb Phrases
  1. bang into, to collide with; bump into: The truck skidded on the ice and banged into a parked car.

  2. bang up, to damage: A passing car banged up our fender.

Idioms about bang

  1. bang off, Chiefly British Slang. immediately; right away.

  2. bang on, Chiefly British Slang. terrific; marvelous; just right: That hat is absolutely bang on.

  1. bang to rights, Chiefly British. dead to rights: They caught us bang to rights, so there was no point pretending we were innocent.

Origin of bang

1
First recorded in 1540–50; 1930–35 for def. 5; compare Old Norse banga ”to beat, hammer,” Low German bangen “to strike, beat,” German dialect banken; perhaps originally imitative

Other words for bang

Other definitions for bang (2 of 3)

bang2
[ bang ]

noun
  1. Usually bangs. a fringe of hair combed or brushed forward over the forehead.

verb (used with object)
  1. to cut (the hair) so as to form a fringe over the forehead.

  2. to dock (the tail of a horse or dog).

Origin of bang

2
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; short for bangtail

Other definitions for bang (3 of 3)

bang3
[ bang ]

noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bang in a sentence

  • The door banged shut behind him and I heard him at the foot of the stairs roaring "Ho-ho-there-ho!"

  • With a grin the cabman touched his cap, the door banged, and the hansom set off as if the fare were in a breakneck hurry.

    The Weight of the Crown | Fred M. White
  • Holding the garments aside, he banged upon the back of the cupboard—three blows, a pause, and then two blows.

    Dope | Sax Rohmer
  • At the same time, the screen door of the ranch house banged shut and a flying figure descended on the new arrivals.

  • The milkman came, his cans rattling; now and then he shouted to his horse, or whistled, or banged upon a gate.

    Love's Pilgrimage | Upton Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for bang (1 of 3)

bang1

/ (bæŋ) /


noun
  1. a short loud explosive noise, as of the bursting of a balloon or the report of a gun

  2. a hard blow or knock, esp a noisy one; thump: he gave the ball a bang

  1. informal a startling or sudden effect: he realized with a bang that he was late

  2. slang an injection of heroin or other narcotic

  3. taboo, slang an act of sexual intercourse

  4. get a bang out of US and Canadian slang to experience a thrill or excitement from

  5. with a bang successfully: the party went with a bang

verb
  1. to hit or knock, esp with a loud noise; bump: to bang one's head

  2. to move noisily or clumsily: to bang about the house

  1. to close (a door, window, etc) or (of a door, etc) be closed noisily; slam

  2. (tr) to cause to move by hitting vigorously: he banged the ball over the fence

  3. to make or cause to make a loud noise, as of an explosion

  4. (tr) British

    • to cause (stock prices) to fall by rapid selling

    • to sell rapidly in (a stock market), thus causing prices to fall

  5. taboo, slang to have sexual intercourse with

  6. (intr) slang to inject heroin, etc

  7. bang for one's buck informal value for money: this option offers more bang for your buck

  8. bang goes informal that is the end of: bang goes my job in Wapping

  9. bang one's head against a brick wall to try to achieve something impossible

adverb
  1. with a sudden impact or effect: bang went his hopes of winning; the car drove bang into a lamp-post

  2. precisely: bang in the middle of the road

  1. bang to rights slang caught red-handed

  2. go bang to burst, shut, etc, with a loud noise: See also bang up

Origin of bang

1
C16: from Old Norse bang, banga hammer; related to Low German bangen to beat; all of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for bang (2 of 3)

bang2

/ (bæŋ) /


noun
  1. a fringe or section of hair cut straight across the forehead

verb(tr)
  1. to cut (the hair) in such a style

  2. to dock (the tail of a horse, etc)

Origin of bang

2
C19: probably short for bangtail short tail

British Dictionary definitions for bang (3 of 3)

bang3

/ (bæŋ) /


noun
  1. a variant spelling of bhang

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with bang

bang

In addition to the idioms beginning with bang

  • bang away
  • bang for the buck
  • bang into
  • bang one's head against
  • bang out
  • bang up

also see:

  • beat (bang) one's head against the wall
  • get a bang out of
  • go over big (with a bang)
  • more bang for the buck

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