slam
1 Americanverb (used with or without object)
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slams,
present (3rd person singular)
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slammed,
past participle, past
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slamming
present participle
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to shut with force and noise.
to slam the door.
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to dash, strike, knock, thrust, throw, slap down, etc., with violent and noisy impact.
He slammed his books upon the table.
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Informal. to criticize harshly; attack verbally.
He slammed my taste mercilessly.
noun
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a violent and noisy closing, dashing, or impact.
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the noise so made.
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Slang. Usually the slam slammer.
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Informal. a harsh criticism; verbal attack.
I am sick of your slams.
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Informal.
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Also called poetry slam. a competitive, usually boisterous poetry reading.
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a usually competitive performance involving multiple performers with short acts: a tap dance slam.
puppet slams;
a tap dance slam.
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noun
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the winning or bidding of all the tricks or all the tricks but one in a deal.
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an old type of card game associated with ruff.
verb
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to cause (a door or window) to close noisily and with force or (of a door, etc) to close in this way
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(tr) to throw (something) down noisily and violently
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slang (tr) to criticize harshly
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informal (intr; usually foll by into or out of) to go (into or out of a room, etc) in violent haste or anger
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(tr) to strike with violent force
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informal (tr) to defeat easily
noun
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the act or noise of slamming
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slang harsh criticism or abuse
noun
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the winning of all (grand slam) or all but one (little slam or small slam) of the 13 tricks at bridge or whist
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the bid to do so in bridge See grand slam little slam
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an old card game
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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slamsimple
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slamssimple
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have slammedperfect
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has slammedperfect
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am slammingprogressive
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are slammingprogressive
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is slammingprogressive
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have been slammingperfect progressive
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has been slammingperfect progressive
Past
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slammedsimple
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had slammedperfect
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was slammingprogressive
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were slammingprogressive
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had been slammingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slam1
First recorded in 1650–60; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish slamra “to bang (a door), slam”
Origin of slam2
First recorded in 1660–70; perhaps special use of slam 1
Explanation
To slam is to close something forcefully and loudly, like when you slam your door angrily, or slam the freezer door quickly so your sister won't see the ice cream sandwiches you bought. If you slam your finger in the door, it's going to hurt. And, if you slam your backpack onto the table, you may damage your laptop. The word slam implies violence and force. As a noun, a slam is the action or sound of slamming something. There's also a "poetry slam," when poets compete by reciting their work in front of an audience, and slam-dancing, also known as moshing, in which dancers slam into each other.
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:
One of the beefs homeowners have with PWCs—and so called “wake boats”—is that the waves they generate can slam moored boats into docks and erode shorelines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
If the Braves don’t trade instead for Matt Olson, the Dodgers don’t have a hobbled Freeman hitting his walk-off, 10th-inning grand slam against the New York Yankees in the World Series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
This was when Schmitt, believing he was on the verge of a slam dunk, accused Smith of perjury.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
Since winning his last slam, Djokovic achieved his lifelong goal of winning Olympic gold at Paris 2024.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
My breath caught like I was plunging off a cliff, and my heart started to slam against my chest.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Bow shocks are typically produced when material flowing away from a star slams into its surroundings.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
Nearby a large excavator slams its shovel into another building's remains.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
In an actual courtroom, court reporters record nonverbal cues like gestures and transcribe through distracting courtroom noises like coughs or door slams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
I read “Ayton slams home a lot of happiness,” which was a good counter to “Four players involved in Monday’s melee draw suspensions.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
The driver slams on his brakes, and the back of the truck fishtails, but it is too late.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
The powerful surf exacerbated by the morning's high tide slammed into coastal communities, including Long Beach, where signficiant sections of the boardwalk crumbled under the pounding waves and several homes suffered serious structural damage.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
I sat on a hard bench, facing the sliding door, which slammed shut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
That would be the highest proportion since the second quarter of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic slammed into the global economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Some researchers think Phobos is an asteroid that was captured by Mars, while others argue that it formed from debris thrown into orbit after a massive object slammed into the planet.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Clark slammed the door shut, and Mother heard the sound of the bolt locking.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Video showed waves slamming against the bulkhead that protects beachfront homes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Plus, American workers are slamming the brakes on switching jobs, and prediction markets are luring traders away from crypto.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
After slamming into the Japanese islands and sweeping past Taiwan's northern tip, Bavi is expected to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
But Muchova dusted herself down to fight again, bringing up her second match point by sending Gauff wide before slamming home an inside-out forehand winner into the corner.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The boys heard the sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs, and then the sound of the attic door slamming.
From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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