bash

present singular third person bashes · participle present bashing · participle past bashed · past bashed

1. informalTo strike heavily; to beat.

   The thugs kept bashing the cowering victim.

   3 more examples

   If the engine won't start, bash it with this hammer.

   It was planned that the sick men were to crawl over and simultaneously seize the fire-arms and bash us with them while the women flung themselves upon the trackers.

   1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 141

   It isn't the creature's fault that it bashed its head against a tree outside our hole.

   1951, C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia

2. informalTo collide.

   Don't bash into me with that shopping trolley.

   1 more example

   The bulls backed apart and ran together, tusks clashing — Ed held his trunk down while Conrad curled his high over his head, out of the way of Ed's tusks as the faces bashed together.

   1998, Katharine Payne, Silent Thunder, page 74

3. informaltransitiveTo criticize harshly.

   He bashed my ideas.

   2 more examples

   The entertainment industry, the artistic community, and much of the educational establishment, which so profoundly influence American culture, relentlessly assault religion, promote promiscuity, encourage illegitimacy, and bash America.

   1994, Richard Nixon, “America Beyond Peace”, in Beyond Peace, New York: Random House, →ISBN, page 236

   This is consistent with new research about to be published by Tax Justice UK that found that, when making the case for a more progressive tax system, bashing the wealthy resonated far less well with voters than specific arguments about closing loopholes and increasing particular taxes.

   2020 February 16, Sonia Sodha, “Politicians should stop bashing the rich… most of us just don’t agree”, in The Observer

plural bashes

1. informalA forceful blow or impact.

   He got a bash on the head.

2. informalA large party; a gala event.

   They had a big bash to celebrate their tenth anniversary.

   1 more example

   The party level ramps up at Thornaby, where a gaggle of women on a 50th birthday bash join us.

   2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 74

3. UKinformalAn attempt at doing something.

   give something a bash

   2 more examples

   I'm not sure I'll be any good at this, but let me have a bash.

   This was my first bash at macramé, so I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out.

   Synonyms: lash

present singular third person bashes · participle present bashing · participle past bashed · past bashed

1. obsoletetransitiveTo abash (make ashamed)

   His countenance was bold and bashed not.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 37

1. computingThe Free Software Foundation's command interpreter (the "shell") for UNIX-like operating systems.
2. computer languagesThe scripting language provided with this interpreter.

1. A diminutive of the male given name Sebastian.