pummel

American

[puhm-uhl] / ˈpʌm əl /

verb (used with object)

pummeled, pummeling, pummelled, pummelling

to beat or thrash with or as if with the fists.

pummel British

/ ˈpʌməl /

verb

Also (less commonly): pommel. (tr) to strike repeatedly with or as if with the fists

"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 Word Forms

unpummeled adjective
unpummelled adjective

Etymology

Origin of pummel

First recorded in 1540–50; alteration of pommel

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.

If oil prices go significantly higher, that could pummel spending and employment, prompting the Fed to cut rates to prevent a recession.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Inter, the three-time European champions who are currently 10 points clear at the top of Serie A, were expected to pummel their visitors in an attempt to turn the tie around.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

This week, investors became very worried that rapidly-advancing AI capabilities offered by companies like Anthropic are going to pummel any company with services that include enterprise software.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

A 9-year-old boy in Kentucky was swept away by flood waters on Friday, one of at least nine people to die in a series of dramatic storms that continue to pummel the US.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2025

On account of the heat, there are still a few actual bathers on the beach, but I am content to sit in shorts and T-shirt and watch the ocean pummel the sand.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023