- informal
- indicating a malicious attack on members of a particular group: gay-bashing, union-bashing
- indicating any of various other activities: Bible-bashing, spud-bashing, square-bashing
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
-bash•ing,
combining form. Use -bashing joined after another word to form:
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- nouns meaning "physical assaults against (the noun)'':gay + -bashing → gay-bashing (= physical assault against gay people).
- nouns meaning "verbally attacking'':China + -bashing → China-bashing (= verbally attacking China).
bash•ing
(bash′ing),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- the act of beating, whipping, or thrashing:a series of unsolved bashings and robberies.
- a decisive defeat:We gave the visiting team a good bashing.
- (used in combination)
- unprovoked physical assaults against members of a specified group:gay-bashing.
- verbal abuse, as of a group or a nation:feminist-bashing; China-bashing.
- bash + ing1 1725–35
bash /bæʃ/USA pronunciation
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to strike with a blow;
smash: [~ + object]bashed her head against the shelf.[no object]The car bashed into a tree.
n. [countable]
- a blow:a bash on the nose.
- Informal Termsa lively party.
bash
(bash),USA pronunciation v.t.
n.
bash′er, n.
- to strike with a crushing or smashing blow.
- Canada, British Terms[Chiefly Brit., Canadian.]to hurl harsh verbal abuse at.
n.
- a crushing blow.
- Informal Termsa thoroughly enjoyable, lively party.
- British Terms, Idioms have a bash (at), to attempt;
make an attempt. - British Terms, Idioms on the bash, working as a prostitute.
- perh. alteration of pash1 1635–45
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
-bashing adj combining form , n combining form
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bash /bæʃ/ informal vb
- (transitive) to strike violently or crushingly
- (transitive; often followed by in, down, etc) to smash, break, etc, with a crashing blow
- (intransitive) followed by into: to crash (into); collide (with): to bash into a lamppost
- to dent or be dented
- a heavy blow, as from a fist
- a party
- have a bash ⇒ informal to make an attempt
'bashing' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):