slam

¹ American  

[slam] / slæm /

verb (used with or without object)

slammed, slamming

1. to shut with force and noise.

   to slam the door.

2. to dash, strike, knock, thrust, throw, slap down, etc., with violent and noisy impact.

   He slammed his books upon the table.

3. Informal. to criticize harshly; attack verbally.

   He slammed my taste mercilessly.

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noun

1. a violent and noisy closing, dashing, or impact.

2. the noise so made.

3. Slang. Usually the slam slammer.

4. Informal. a harsh criticism; verbal attack.

   I am sick of your slams.

5. Informal.

   1. Also called poetry slam.  a competitive, usually boisterous poetry reading.

   2. a usually competitive performance involving multiple performers with short acts: a tap dance slam.

      puppet slams;

      a tap dance slam.

slam ² American  

[slam] / slæm /

noun

Cards.

1. the winning or bidding of all the tricks or all the tricks but one in a deal.

2. an old type of card game associated with ruff.

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slam ¹ British  

/ slæm /

verb

1. to cause (a door or window) to close noisily and with force or (of a door, etc) to close in this way

2. (tr) to throw (something) down noisily and violently

3. slang (tr) to criticize harshly

4. informal (intr; usually foll by into or out of) to go (into or out of a room, etc) in violent haste or anger

5. (tr) to strike with violent force

6. informal (tr) to defeat easily

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noun

1. the act or noise of slamming

2. slang harsh criticism or abuse

slam ² British  

/ slæm /

noun

1. 1. the winning of all (grand slam) or all but one (little slam or small slam) of the 13 tricks at bridge or whist

   2. the bid to do so in bridge See grand slam little slam

2. an old card game

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slam ³ British  

/ slæm /

noun

1. a poetry contest in which entrants compete with each other by reciting their work and are awarded points by the audience

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Other Word Forms

• unslammed adjective

Etymology

Origin of slam¹

First recorded in 1650–60; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish slamra “to bang (a door), slam”

Origin of slam²

First recorded in 1660–70; perhaps special use of slam ¹

Example Sentences

Shohei Ohtani provided the first electric moment of the World Baseball Classic with a grand slam, three years after he capped the last WBC by striking out Mike Trout.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

Gains in prices for aluminum, natural gas and other commodities hold the potential to slam the Asian and European economies that drive much of global trade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Fox’s legal theory is not frivolous, but it is far from a slam dunk.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

He is also less than a month away from the defence of the Masters title he won at Augusta last year to complete the career grand slam.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

I climb down fast, drop to the crate by the wall, race across the mulch, through the doors opened by the janitor, who lets them slam behind me.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

Related Words

• bang
• bat
• batter
• beat
• belt
• blast
• crash
• dash
• fling
• hit
• hurl
• knock
• slap
• smash
• strike
• swat