Meanings
nounpunching bag (plural punching bags)
plural punching bags
- USfigurativelyA person serving as an object of abuse.
The response was swift, and [Harold] Bloom became a punching bag for leftist critics, who valued literature’s power to deliver social and political messages for the underrepresented.
2025 June 16, Eric Bulson, “Yes I Will Read ‘Ulysses’ Yes”, in The Atlantic, →ISSN, archived from the original on 16 Jun 20251 more example
For so long, Theon Greyjoy was the punching bag of Game of Thrones, a sort of shitty Charlie Brown who not only failed to kick the football, but would then be beaten savagely with it every time he landed on his ass.
2019 April 14, Alex McLevy, “Winter is Here on Game of Thrones’ Final Season Premiere (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 18 Dec 2020Synonyms: punchbag
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA tough bag, usually cylindrical, filled with air, sand, or other material, often suspended so that it swings freely, which is punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts.
Similar
nounA person serving as an object of abuse.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounan inflated ball or bag that is suspended and punched for training in boxing
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek κώρυκος
- κώρυκος (kṓrukos)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Arabic كيس ملاكمة
- كيس ملاكمة (kis mulakima)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Basque boxeo zakua
- boxeo zakuatough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Bulgarian боксов чувал, боксова круша
- боксов чувал (boksov čuval)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- боксова круша (boksova kruša)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- боксова круша (boksova kruša)person serving as an object of abuse
Catalan sac de boxa, sac de boxa
- sac de boxatough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- sac de boxaperson serving as an object of abuse
Chinese Cantonese 沙包, 出氣筒 /出气筒
- 沙包 (saa¹ baau¹)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- 出氣筒 /出气筒 (ceot¹ hei³ tung²)person serving as an object of abuse
- 沙包 (saa¹ baau¹)person serving as an object of abuse
Chinese Mandarin 吊袋, 拳擊沙袋 /拳击沙袋
- 吊袋 (diàodài)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- 拳擊沙袋 /拳击沙袋 (quánjī shādài)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- 沙包 (shābāo)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- 出氣筒 /出气筒 (chūqìtǒng)person serving as an object of abuse
- 小媳婦 /小媳妇 (xiǎoxífù, xiǎoxífer)person serving as an object of abuse
Czech boxovací pytel
- boxovací pyteltough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Danish boksesæk
- boksesæktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Dutch bokszak
- bokszaktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Finnish nyrkkeilysäkki, heittopussi
- nyrkkeilysäkkitough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- heittopussiperson serving as an object of abuse
French punching-ball, sac de boxe
- punching-balltough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- sac de boxetough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- sac de frappetough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- souffre-douleurperson serving as an object of abuse
- tête de turcperson serving as an object of abuse
German Boxsack, Sandsack
- Boxsacktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- Sandsacktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- Zielscheibeperson serving as an object of abuse
- Prügelknabeperson serving as an object of abuse
Greek σάκος πυγμαχίας
- σάκος πυγμαχίας (sákos pygmachías)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Hebrew שַׂק חֲבָטוֹת, שַׂק אִגְרוּף
- שַׂק חֲבָטוֹת (saq ḥavatót)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- שַׂק אִגְרוּף (saq igrúf)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Hungarian bokszzsák
- bokszzsáktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Indonesian samsak, samsak
- samsaktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- samsakperson serving as an object of abuse
Italian sacco da boxe
- sacco da boxetough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Japanese サンドバッグ
- サンドバッグ (sandobaggu)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Korean 샌드백
- 샌드백 (saendeubaek)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Latin cōrycus
- cōrycustough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Norwegian boksesekk
- boksesekktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Persian کیسه بوکس
- کیسه بوکس (kes buks)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Polish worek do bicia, worek treningowy
- worek do biciatough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- worek treningowytough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- chłopiec do biciaperson serving as an object of abuse
Portuguese saco de boxe, saco de pancada
- saco de boxetough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- saco de pancadatough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- saco de pancadaperson serving as an object of abuse
Romanian sac de box
- sac de boxtough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Russian боксёрская гру́ша, боксёрский мешо́к
- боксёрская гру́ша (boksjórskaja grúša)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- боксёрский мешо́к (boksjórskij mešók)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- гру́ша (grúša)person serving as an object of abuse
- ма́льчик для битья́ (málʹčik dlja bitʹjá)person serving as an object of abuse
Slovak boxovacie vrece
- boxovacie vrecetough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Spanish saco de boxeo, saco de boxeo
- saco de boxeotough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- saco de boxeoperson serving as an object of abuse
Swedish boxningssäck, sandsäck
- boxningssäcktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- sandsäcktough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- slagpåseperson serving as an object of abuse
Turkish boks torbası, kum torbası
- boks torbasıtough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
- kum torbasıtough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Ukrainian боксерська груша
- боксерська груша (boksersʹka hruša)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Urdu چھدرن بیگ
- چھدرن بیگ (chidrin beyk)tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Vietnamese bao cát
- bao cáttough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Cite this entry
APA
punching bag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punching%20bag
MLA
“punching bag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punching%20bag. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “punching bag,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punching%20bag.
Source: punching bag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.