thrash

[ thrash ]
See synonyms for thrash on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to beat soundly in punishment; flog.

  2. to defeat thoroughly: The home team thrashed the visitors.

  1. Nautical. to force (a close-hauled sailing ship under heavy canvas) against a strong wind or sea.

verb (used without object)
  1. to toss, or plunge about.

  2. Nautical. to make way against the wind, tide, etc.; beat.

noun
  1. an act or instance of thrashing; beating; blow.

  1. Swimming. the upward and downward movement of the legs, as in the crawl.

  2. British Slang. a party, usually with drinks.

Verb Phrases
  1. thrash out / over to talk over thoroughly and vigorously in order to reach a decision, conclusion, or understanding; discuss exhaustively.: Also thresh out / over.

Origin of thrash

1
before 900; Middle English thrasshen, variant of thresshen to thresh

synonym study For thrash

1. See beat.

Other words for thrash

Other words from thrash

  • un·thrashed, adjective
  • well-thrashed, adjective

Words that may be confused with thrash

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

How to use thrash in a sentence

  • Onstage, he thrashes around with bandmate Allison Mosshart, who has a habit of chain-smoking while she sings.

    Meet Mr. Kate Moss | Jacob Bernstein | June 30, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Mr. Cuming Walters' volume, sensible enough and intelligent, we quite concede, simply thrashes the straw.

    Ephemera Critica | John Churton Collins
  • The Annamite thrashes the air with his whip and swears by Buddha that he is the victim of a pernicious conspiracy.

  • Weighed down forward, we throw our stern high, and the mad propeller thrashes in air, jarring every bolt and rivet in her.

    Merchantmen-at-Arms | David W. Bone
  • Lays and grunts and thrashes all night long—mutterin' in his sleep and actin' right foolish.

    The Mission of Janice Day | Helen Beecher Long
  • They say an angel of the devil lives here and thrashes around at times in terrible anger.

    Carmen Ariza | Charles Francis Stocking

British Dictionary definitions for thrash

thrash

/ (θræʃ) /


verb
  1. (tr) to beat soundly, as with a whip or stick

  2. (tr) to defeat totally; overwhelm

  1. (intr) to beat or plunge about in a wild manner

  2. (intr) to move the legs up and down in the water, as in certain swimming strokes

  3. to sail (a boat) against the wind or tide or (of a boat) to sail in this way

  4. another word for thresh

noun
  1. the act of thrashing; blow; beating

  2. informal a party or similar social gathering

Origin of thrash

1
Old English threscan; related to Old High German dreskan, Old Norse thriskja

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