thrash
Americanverb (used with object)
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thrashes,
present (3rd person singular)
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thrashed,
past participle, past
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thrashing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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thrashes,
present (3rd person singular)
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thrashed,
past participle, past
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thrashing
present participle
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to toss, or plunge about.
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Nautical. to make way against the wind, tide, etc.; beat.
noun
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an act or instance of thrashing; beating; blow.
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Swimming. the upward and downward movement of the legs, as in the crawl.
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British Slang. a party, usually with drinks.
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to beat soundly, as with a whip or stick
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(tr) to defeat totally; overwhelm
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(intr) to beat or plunge about in a wild manner
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(intr) to move the legs up and down in the water, as in certain swimming strokes
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to sail (a boat) against the wind or tide or (of a boat) to sail in this way
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another word for thresh
noun
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the act of thrashing; blow; beating
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informal a party or similar social gathering
Synonym Usage
See beat.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thrashsimple
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thrashessimple
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have thrashedperfect
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has thrashedperfect
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am thrashingprogressive
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are thrashingprogressive
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is thrashingprogressive
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have been thrashingperfect progressive
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has been thrashingperfect progressive
Past
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thrashedsimple
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had thrashedperfect
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was thrashingprogressive
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were thrashingprogressive
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had been thrashingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thrash
before 900; Middle English thrasshen, variant of thresshen to thresh
Explanation
When you thrash someone, you beat them — literally, with your fists, or figuratively, by winning a game or competition. You can describe your game plan for a chess match this way: "I plan to thrash that show-off in just ten moves." You can also threaten to physically thrash someone, like a neighborhood bully who's been known to thrash much smaller kids. Thrash was originally a sixteenth-century variation on the word thresh, which means to separate grain from wheat or another plant by beating it.
Vocabulary lists containing thrash
Super Bowl Blowout: Epic Vocab for the Big Game
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The Cay
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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.
See Examples For:
German auto giant Volkswagen's management meet Thursday to thrash out plans for what could be the biggest ever restructuring in the global auto industry, with unions set to protest any mass job cuts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
It's sequenced with another cross-generational saga, The Test, where Madonna and her eldest daughter, Lourdes Leon, thrash out their differences over a spacious, trancey instrumental.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Uncertainty will weigh on shipping while Washington and Tehran thrash out details on Iran’s nuclear program and other unresolved issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
That was never far from our thoughts as we watched “The Late Show” thrash, often jubilantly, against the coming night over the 10 months that the network gave it to bleed out.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
He said, “You’re a helluva driver, chickabiddy, but don’t you tell your Momma I taught you. She’d thrash me half to death.”
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
He stands with a classical-looking, slightly-open stance, taps the ground once as the spinner enters his delivery stride and then thrashes the ball with his fast hands.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2025
Park thrashes through the “Hedwig” songbook with aplomb; high points include the headbanger “Angry Inch,” the aching anthem “Wicked Little Town” and “Wig in a Box,” a tour-de-force tune of self-discovery.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 30, 2021
“When the virus thrashes your lungs, then what’s left is lung damage, and your body just has to heal that on its own,” he says.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2021
While the pianist thrashes away at a collection of pitches, her mobiles and their shadows twist calmly in front of the lights, creating a potent contrast with the instrumental ferocity.
From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2018
Christina thrashes, but Molly is heavy and doesn’t budge.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Trade bible Variety called it a "lacerating portrait," while Deadline said the "damning" film had "thrashed" Musk as "petty, narcissistic, megalomaniacal, cruel."
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
It's a dream for surfers, but can quickly become a nightmare for inexperienced swimmers thrashed by strong currents.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
When Broussard and his friend attempted to put Catzilla into the fishing basket, with the intention of then releasing it, the 50-pounder violently thrashed and slipped free.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
It meant Balogun could line up against Belgium, who routinely thrashed the hosts.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
I watched as Briares bellowed in rage and picked up the lobster, which thrashed and snapped its pincers.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
The gulf between Oklahoma State and its free-spending rivals was never more obvious than in the Cowboys’ second game last season, a 69-3 thrashing by Oregon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
For rock fans, “Boston” had it all—dramatic guitar solos, powerful lead vocals, a jabbing bass line, thrashing drums and catchy songs with a smart blend of pop and metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
They headlined Coachella in 2025, a rare heavy rock band to top the most influential festival in the U.S., delivering a raucous and thrashing set unlike any in the last decade of Coachella headliners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Their batters have looked uncomfortable away from the batter-friendly pitches of the IPL, thrashing at deliveries as they look to replicate the fast-scoring Indian domestic league.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
So many animals started thrashing through the waves that the ocean seemed to be boiling over.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
