sledgehammer

[slej-ham-er]

noun

1. a large heavy hammer wielded with both hands.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to hammer, beat, or strike with or as if with a sledgehammer.

adjective

1. crudely or ruthlessly forceful; lacking all dexterity or grace.

   the artist's sledgehammer approach.

sledgehammer

/ ˈslɛdʒˌhæmə /

noun

1. a large heavy hammer with a long handle used with both hands for heavy work such as forging iron, breaking rocks, etc

2. (modifier) resembling the action of a sledgehammer in power, ruthlessness, etc

   a sledgehammer blow

verb

1. (tr) to strike (something) with or as if with a sledgehammer

Word History and Origins

Origin of sledgehammer¹

First recorded in 1485–95; sledge ² + hammer

Word History and Origins

Origin of sledgehammer¹

C15 sledge, from Old English slecg a large hammer; related to Old Norse sleggja, Middle Dutch slegge

Example Sentences

One night in 2019, thieves wielding sledgehammers broke into Blenheim, ripped out the toilet and fled with it, causing flooding issues at the 18th-century home.

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Although parties of the right often are the beneficiaries, voters aren’t always discriminating when they choose between one political sledgehammer or another.

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“But this isn’t reform, it’s a sledgehammer…this ensures that only companies with the deepest pockets can play.”

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Welsh Conservative and chairman of the Senedd's cross party group on shooting and conservation, James Evans, said the proposals were using "a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

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Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp backed the government's ban on Palestine Action, saying they had "used a sledgehammer to attack a police officer" and "deliberately sabotaged RAF planes".

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