bash

[ bash ]

verb (used with object)

1. to strike with a crushing or smashing blow.
2. Chiefly British, Canadian. to hurl harsh verbal abuse at.

noun

1. a crushing blow.
2. Informal. a thoroughly enjoyable, lively party.

bash

/ bæʃ /

verb

1. tr to strike violently or crushingly
2. tr; often foll by in, down, etc to smash, break, etc, with a crashing blow

   to bash a door down

3. intrfoll byinto to crash (into); collide (with)

   to bash into a lamppost

4. to dent or be dented

   this cover won't bash easily

   this tin is bashed

noun

1. a heavy blow, as from a fist
2. a dent; indentation
3. a party
4. have a bash informal.
   to make an attempt

Other Words From

• basher noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bash¹

First recorded in 1635–45; perhaps of expressive origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of bash¹

C17: of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. have a bash (at), British. to attempt; make an attempt.
2. on the bash, British. working as a prostitute.

Example Sentences

The other schools that have fared worst in BASH also make sense.

From FiveThirtyEight

Summer is in full effect, which means barbecues, bashes, and begging for an end to the global pandemic.

From Time

Like a freshman invited to a senior bash, the Friends members want the party to last — even if the host group hardly notices them.

From Washington Post

The best example of that passion came when a Facebook posting about a supposed June 24 Limelight reopening bash prompted a frenzy, only to have the organizers cancel the event.

From The Daily Beast

Tye celebrated her 30th birthday with a picnic instead of the big bash she had planned.

From Time

For weeks preceding the bash, Hitch refuses to have anything to do with it.

From The Daily Beast

Another Dem who has been just a heart-beat (or a lamp bash) away from being president.

From The Daily Beast

Just look at the rhetoric used by angry 1970s rock fans to bash disco.

From The Daily Beast

Kadyrov had organized another big party last weekend, even before the Putin birthday bash.

From The Daily Beast

Rapper The Game was also in attendance at that bash, as well as Jessica Alba, Eddie Murphy, and Paris Hilton, among others.

From The Daily Beast

Mother: "I don't care wot yer do so long as yer don't bash 'er abaht the 'ead."

From Project Gutenberg

Next morning, when Bash Tchelik left the cave, the prince came and learned the secret from his wife.

From Project Gutenberg

So perished Bash Tchelik, and thus did the prince finally regain his beloved and loyal wife.

From Project Gutenberg

The prince thankfully took the feather and started once more in pursuit of Bash Tchelik.

From Project Gutenberg

Thereupon Bash Tchelik disappeared with the princess, and her husband remained to wonder what he should do next.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• celebration

About This Word

What does bash mean?

Bash means “to strike” something with great force. It’s been adopted as slang for hurling insults or verbal abuse at someone.

A bash is also an older slang term for “a wild party.”

Where did bash come from?

Dating back to the 1600s, the simple verb bash is “to hit something with force.” It’s equivalent with the words strike and beat.

The use of bash for “a wild party” appears as slang by at least the 1940s.

Bash, for “to insult or verbally abuse,” emerged by the 1950s out of the original “striking” sense of the verb (i.e., hurling very harsh, even hateful criticism). One historic instance is queer-bashing, or slurring the LGBTQ community. Use of this bashing saw even more use due to cyberbullying, trolling, and internet comment culture.

What about the bash- in bashful, meaning “shy” or “timid”? The bash- in bashful actually comes from a shortened form of abash, “to make ashamed or embarrassed.” Abash is related to the word abase, and the verb bash likely imitates the sound of bashing or is influenced by words like bang, smash, and dash.

Who uses bash?

Bashing, for “violent blows,” is frequently used in expressions like bash one’s head against a wall or keyboard. Expect to see this when someone’s in the pique of anger or frustration.

Bash, for “insult,” is used in speech, writing, and social media. Expect to see this bash when someone (or the internet hive mind) is bashing a celebrity, product, or some other cultural phenomenon they dislike: He bashed Samsung’s new phone … or Twitter bashed Facebook’s corporate apology about hacking. A basher (e.g., anime-basher) is not unlike a troll or hater. Bashing, as in the general practice of insulting something, is common, too. For instance: Quit bashing on the new gamers in the forum.

Promote what you love, don't bash what you hate.

— Define YOUR Grind (@DefineYourGrind) July 15, 2014

As mentioned, bash was once slang for a lively party. It’s still seen in phrases like birthday bash.

More examples of bash:

“As BuzzFeed News points out, things turned chaotic when people began catching wind of the plot. In response, Venom fans fired back with their own bad takes and memes bashing A Star Is Born.”
—Sarah Jasmine Montgomery, Complex, October 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.