sledge

¹ American  

[slej] / slɛdʒ /

noun

1. a vehicle of various forms, mounted on runners and often drawn by draft animals, used for traveling or for conveying loads over snow, ice, rough ground, etc.

2. a sled.

3. British. a sleigh.

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verb (used with or without object)

sledges, present (3rd person singular) sledged, past participle, past sledging present participle

1. to convey or travel by sledge.

verb (used without object)

sledges, present (3rd person singular) sledged, past participle, past sledging present participle

1. British. to sleigh.

sledge ² American  

[slej] / slɛdʒ /

noun

sledged, sledging

1. sledgehammer.

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sledge ¹ British  

/ slɛd, slɛdʒ /

noun

1. Also called: sleigh.  a vehicle mounted on runners, drawn by horses or dogs, for transporting people or goods, esp over snow

2. a light wooden frame used, esp by children, for sliding over snow; toboggan

3. a farm vehicle mounted on runners, for use on rough or muddy ground

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verb

1. to convey, travel, or go by sledge

sledge ² British  

/ slɛdʒ /

verb

1. (tr) to bait (an opponent, esp a batsman in cricket) in order to upset his concentration

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noun

1. an insult aimed at another player during a game of cricket

sledge ³ British  

/ slɛdʒ /

noun

1. short for sledgehammer

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sledger
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• sledging
  present
• sledged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sledge
  simple
• sledges
  simple
• have sledged
  perfect
• has sledged
  perfect
• am sledging
  progressive
• are sledging
  progressive
• is sledging
  progressive
• have been sledging
  perfect progressive
• has been sledging
  perfect progressive

Past

• sledged
  simple
• had sledged
  perfect
• was sledging
  progressive
• were sledging
  progressive
• had been sledging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sledge
  simple
• will have sledged
  perfect
• will be sledging
  progressive
• will have been sledging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sledge¹

1595–1605; < dialectal Dutch sleeds, derivative of slede sled; cf. sleigh

Origin of sledge²

before 1000; Middle English slegge, Old English slecg; cognate with Dutch slegge, Old Norse sleggja; akin to slay

Example Sentences

“You know the west side is the best side,” joked Town Council member Stacy Sledge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Margaret Thatcher was in No 10, Sister Sledge was Number One in the charts - and health and safety rules were somewhat more relaxed than today.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2024

Artists as disparate as Mantovani, Percy Sledge, Annie Lennox and Sarah Brightman recorded the song, and tens of thousands have sung it to karaoke accompaniment.

From Washington Post • Mar. 29, 2023

“But disco is such a light touch — just an hour ago, we were listening to Sister Sledge, ‘Lost in Music.’

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2021

“Just get over here. Get over here or I won’t let you in on the Annual Sledge Game this year. I was talking to some of the fellas about it today.”

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

Related Words

• bobsled
• luge