trounce
Americanverb (used with object)
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to beat severely; thrash.
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to punish.
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to defeat decisively.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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trouncesimple
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trouncessimple
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have trouncedperfect
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has trouncedperfect
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am trouncingprogressive
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are trouncingprogressive
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is trouncingprogressive
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have been trouncingperfect progressive
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has been trouncingperfect progressive
Past
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trouncedsimple
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had trouncedperfect
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was trouncingprogressive
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were trouncingprogressive
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had been trouncingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of trounce
First recorded in 1545–55; origin uncertain
Explanation
When you trounce someone, you win decisively. If you win a chess match in three moves, you trounce your opponent. When a professional tennis player is in the midst of a tournament, she hopes to trounce her rival, and an ambitious speller might dream of the day she competes nationally and trounces all the other competitors. A victorious army can also be said to trounce the enemy. The origin of trounce is uncertain, though one theory has the French troncer, or "cut a piece off from," as its root.
Vocabulary lists containing trounce
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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.
Japanese stocks remain hot, with the Nikkei 225 continuing to trounce the U.S. equities market this year as it posted a fresh record peak on Thursday.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
Having won several times, the group says they generally expect to trounce the competition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Meanwhile, the sumptuous imagery and amiable pacing of “Wuthering Heights” trounce del Toro’s ghastly slog of a film.
From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid's 28 points helped the 76ers trounce the Washington Wizards 131-110.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
She was in a mood to trounce Jojo in checkers, not work outside all day.
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
