flog

[ flog, flawg ]

/ flɒg, flɔg /

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See synonyms for: flog / flogged / flogging / flogger on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), flogged, flog·ging.

to beat with a whip, stick, etc., especially as punishment; whip; scourge.

Slang.

to sell, especially aggressively or vigorously.
to promote; publicize.

OTHER WORDS FOR flog

1 thrash, lash.

See synonyms for flog on Thesaurus.com

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of flog

First recorded in 1670–80; perhaps blend of flay and jog, variant of jag¹ “to prick, slash”; but cf. flagellate

OTHER WORDS FROM flog

flog·ga·ble, adjectiveflog·ger, nouno·ver·flog, verb (used with object), o·ver·flogged, o·ver·flog·ging.un·flog·ga·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use flog in a sentence

The sentence of the court was carried out by a scourger, sometimes called flagellator, or flogger.
The Book of the Bush|George Dunderdale
They were friends of the Bartons, and Old John, the ex-flogger, trained them in the art of cattle-lifting.
The Book of the Bush|George Dunderdale
It was generally given out as "piece work" to one man, the "master-flogger," as you might term him, who employed the others.
The Life Story of an Old Rebel|John Denvir
Two should hold her by the arms while the professional flogger seared the white soft back of her.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath

I no more care for a flogging than a boy does at Eton: and only let the flogger beware—I will be a match for him, I warrant you.
Punch, or the London Charivari. Vol. 1, July 31, 1841|Various

British Dictionary definitions for flog

flog

/ (flɒɡ) /

verb flogs, flogging or flogged

(tr) to beat harshly, esp with a whip, strap, etc

(tr) British slang to sell

(intr) (of a sail) to flap noisily in the wind

(intr) to make progress by painful work

NZ to steal

flog a dead horse mainly British

to harp on some long discarded subject
to pursue the solution of a problem long realized to be insoluble

flog to death to persuade a person so persistently of the value of (an idea or venture) that he or she loses interest in it

Derived forms of flog

flogger, nounflogging, noun

Word Origin for flog

C17: probably from Latin flagellāre; see flagellant

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with flog

flog

see beat a dead horse.

flog

OTHER WORDS FOR flog

Origin of flog

OTHER WORDS FROM flog

Words related to flog

How to use flog in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flog

Derived forms of flog

Word Origin for flog

Other Idioms and Phrases with flog