drubbing
Americannoun
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a beating; a sound thrashing.
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a decisive, humiliating defeat, as in a game or contest.
noun
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a beating, as with a stick, cudgel, etc
-
a comprehensive or heavy defeat, esp in a sporting competition
Etymology
Origin of drubbing
Explanation
A drubbing in sports is a defeat, especially by a wide margin. Your team's 100-point loss in the dodgeball tournament could be called a drubbing. Ouch. When one team soundly beats another, that's a drubbing. You can also use this word for a more literal kind of beating, actually physically striking someone: "My brother threatened to give that bully a drubbing if he keeps teasing me." The word comes from the verb drub, "to beat," probably from the Arabic root daraba, "he beat up."
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.
It isn’t unusual for presidents to reshuffle the org chart after a midterm drubbing.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
Turnover after such an electoral drubbing is not uncommon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
The drubbing also raised questions about the government's record.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Once he shook off a 36-point drubbing, though, Golesh saw his own future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
I would have to seek advice from Harry, although my estimation of him as a counselor in affairs of the heart had received a substantial drubbing at the hands of the wretched Miss Minerva Goodacre.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
