the flexible part of a whip; the section of cord or the like forming the extremity of a whip.
a swift stroke or blow, with a whip or the like, given as a punishment.
He received 20 lashes.
something that goads or pains in a manner compared to that of a whip.
the lash of his sharp tongue.
a swift dashing or sweeping movement, as of an animal's tail; swish.
a violent beating or impact, as of waves or rain, against something.
an eyelash.
Also called neck cord. a cord or a series of cords for lifting the warp in weaving a figured fabric.
to strike or beat, as with a whip or something similarly slender and flexible.
to beat violently or sharply against.
The rain lashed the trees.
to drive by or as if by strokes of a whip.
He lashed them on to greater effort.
to attack, scold, or punish severely with words.
She lashed the students with harsh criticism.
to dash, fling, or switch suddenly and swiftly.
The crocodile lashed its tail.
to strike vigorously at someone or something, as with a weapon or whip (often followed byout ).
He lashed wildly at his attackers.
to attack or reprove someone with harsh words (often followed byout ).
to lash out at injustice.
to move suddenly and swiftly; rush, dash, or flash.
The coiled snake lashed suddenly.
Chiefly British. to spend money lavishly or foolishly (usually followed byout ).
a sharp cutting blow from a whip or other flexible object
twenty lashes was his punishment
the flexible end or ends of a whip
a cutting or hurtful blow to the feelings, as one caused by ridicule or scolding
a forceful beating or impact, as of wind, rain, or waves against something
See eyelash
informal to make an attempt at or take part in (something)
to hit (a person or thing) sharply with a whip, rope, etc, esp as a punishment
(of rain, waves, etc) to beat forcefully against
to attack with words, ridicule, etc
to flick or wave sharply to and fro
the restless panther lashed his tail
to urge or drive with or as if with a whip
to lash the audience into a violent mood
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb lashen “to deal a blow; hammer”; noun derivative of the verb; perhaps imitative of the sound
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English lasen, lace(n) “to fasten with laces, buckles, or ties,” from Old French lac(i)er, lasser, lachier to lace ( def. )
1960–65; l(ighter) a(board) sh(ip)
A lash is a sharp slap or strike with a rope or whip. In some parts of the world, lawbreakers receive a certain number of lashes as punishment for their crimes. To deliver a lash is also to lash: "I instructed the jockey not to lash the horse," and another way to lash is to tie one thing securely to another. The part of a whip that actually connects with a person or animal's body is called a lash as well. When you lash out at someone, you either hit them or attack them in a figurative way, especially through angry words.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These setbacks will likely prompt Mr. Putin to lash out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
"All dogs can be dangerous if they're not brought up correctly, if not raised the right way, if in pain they can lash out, they can bite."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
The crews use mooring ropes to lash the ships as close as 11 feet from each other so that they roll in the waves together.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
And this has made her really relatable, having her son lash out at her like this so publicly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026
The cartilage in his nose was twisted—it’d been broken by the lash of a wayward logging cable in the winter of 1915.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health received $500,000 apiece for the salaries of their employees who were reassigned to LASH.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2020
LASH, Taylor said, had “reaffirmed my faith in medicine.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2020
St. Vincent was to be known as the Los Angeles Surge Hospital, or LASH.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2020
Under plans devised by Jerome Goldman, a New Orleans marine architect, the barges will be hoisted out of the water by a giant shipboard crane and stored vertically in 14 bays on the LASH.
From Time Magazine Archive
She makes videos “questioning” the existence of dinosaurs and then lashes out at the people who inevitably make fun of her for this.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
The paranoid chart-topper lashes out at his close associates and rivals alike.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
The solid, stolid, self-satisfied Edwardian England that had seemed so deserving of his lashes was itself now wounded, and something in Galsworthy shifted accordingly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
The men tied jumpers around their necks and the women did not get glammed up for a night out, unlike Jade in her high heels and fake lashes.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
His dark lashes flutter just once before his pupils freeze like a cat in the street.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Definitions 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.
