thrash

[ thrash ]
See synonyms for: thrashthrashedthrashing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to beat soundly in punishment; flog.

  2. to defeat thoroughly: The home team thrashed the visitors.

  1. Nautical. to force (a close-hauled sailing ship under heavy canvas) against a strong wind or sea.

verb (used without object)
  1. to toss, or plunge about.

  2. Nautical. to make way against the wind, tide, etc.; beat.

noun
  1. an act or instance of thrashing; beating; blow.

  1. Swimming. the upward and downward movement of the legs, as in the crawl.

  2. British Slang. a party, usually with drinks.

Verb Phrases
  1. thrash out / over to talk over thoroughly and vigorously in order to reach a decision, conclusion, or understanding; discuss exhaustively.: Also thresh out / over.

Origin of thrash

1
before 900; Middle English thrasshen, variant of thresshen to thresh

synonym study For thrash

1. See beat.

Other words for thrash

Other words from thrash

  • un·thrashed, adjective
  • well-thrashed, adjective

Words that may be confused with thrash

Words Nearby thrash

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use thrash in a sentence

  • No additional feed-water was required during an ordinary day's work to thrash 1500 sheaves of wheat with 168 lbs.

  • Why, I offered to thrash him and his two boys only three weeks ago, for hanging around after dark where I had a trawl set.

    The Rival Campers Afloat | Ruel Perley Smith
  • And forthwith went out into the street and began to thrash all the Armenians they could find!

    The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
  • Not in the smallest,” said the devil; “it would be useless cruelty to thrash a thing like me.

  • If one had a net to spread round, and then send Pomp in there with a pole to beat and thrash about, one might get, a good haul.

    Mass' George | George Manville Fenn

British Dictionary definitions for thrash

thrash

/ (θræʃ) /


verb
  1. (tr) to beat soundly, as with a whip or stick

  2. (tr) to defeat totally; overwhelm

  1. (intr) to beat or plunge about in a wild manner

  2. (intr) to move the legs up and down in the water, as in certain swimming strokes

  3. to sail (a boat) against the wind or tide or (of a boat) to sail in this way

  4. another word for thresh

noun
  1. the act of thrashing; blow; beating

  2. informal a party or similar social gathering

Origin of thrash

1
Old English threscan; related to Old High German dreskan, Old Norse thriskja

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