lashing

¹ American  

[lash-ing] / ˈlæʃ ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that lashes.

2. a whipping with or as if with a lash.

3. a severe scolding; tongue-lashing.

4. Chiefly British Informal. Usually lashings a large amount; an abundance (usually followed byof ).

   strawberries with lashings of cream;

   scallops with a lashing of olive oil.

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lashing ² American  

[lash-ing] / ˈlæʃ ɪŋ /

noun

1. a binding or fastening with a rope or the like.

2. the rope or the like used.

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lashing ¹ British  

/ ˈlæʃɪŋ /

noun

1. a whipping; flogging

2. a scolding

3. informal large amounts; lots

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lashing ² British  

/ ˈlæʃɪŋ /

noun

1. rope, cord, etc, used for binding or securing

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Etymology

Origin of lashing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, and in 1820–30 lashing ¹ for def. 4; from Middle English lasshyng, lashynge; see origin at lash ¹, -ing ¹; lashing ¹ def. 4 developed from the sense “to spend money lavishly or foolishly”

Origin of lashing²

First recorded in 1660–70; lash ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lashing

Pounding surf lashing the swanky California enclave of Malibu on Tuesday opened up a giant sinkhole on the driveway of a house reportedly belonging to US actor Nicolas Cage.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

So it’s unsurprising that race is a sore spot for JD Vance, and that he’s lashing out about El-Sayed’s pointed comments.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China on Sunday morning, lashing the region with strong winds and heavy rain and forcing Hong Kong airport to cancel around 360 passenger flights.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

This taught me an important, if subjective, rule: A market has probably become a bubble once the fans of an asset start lashing out at skeptics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

When something had angered Malcolm X during the day, his face would be flushed redder when he visited me, and he generally would spend much of the session lashing out bitterly.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey