| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | throw or push very hard |
| Synonyms: | bang, bat, batter, beat, belt, blast, clobber, close, crash, cudgel, dash, fling, hammer, hit, hurl, knock, pound, shut, slap, slug, smash, strike, swat, thump, thwack, wallop |
| Main Entry: | hitting |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | striking |
| Synonyms: | beating, clouting, clubbing, punishing, slamming, slapping, smacking, thumping, whacking, whipping |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack with words |
| Synonyms: | backbite, bad-mouth, bash, belittle, berate, blow off, calumniate, cap, castigate, cuss out, cut down, cut to the quick, decry, defame, derogate, discount, do a number on, dump on, give a black eye, hurl brickbat, insult, knock*, minimize, nag, offend, oppress, persecute, pick on, put down*, rag on, reproach, revile, ride*, rip up, run down, scold, signify, slam*, slap, sling mud, smear, sound*, swear at, tear apart, trash*, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, zing |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
| Antonyms: | acclaim, adulate, approve, commend, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | assault |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack |
| Synonyms: | abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on, go for, haul off on, invade, jump, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, let have it, light into, rape, ruin, set upon, shoot down, slam, slap around, storm, strike, trash, violate, work over, zap |
| Notes: | to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms assault is an attempt or threat to do physical harm while battery is unjustified application of force; assault and battery is carrying out of threatened physical harm or violence |
| Main Entry: | bad-mouth |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | to denigrate |
| Synonyms: | belittle, criticize, cut down to size, dis, disparage, dump on, find fault, knock*, malign, mudsling, pan, pooh pooh, put down*, rap, rip, roast, run down, slam, slander, take a dig at, take down a peg, tear down, tear to pieces |
| Main Entry: | bang |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | moving by hitting hard |
| Synonyms: | bash, beat, bump, clatter, collide, crash, hammer, hit, knock, pound, pummel, rap, slam, smash, strike, thump, whack |
| Main Entry: | bash |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hit |
| Synonyms: | clobber, pop*, punch, slam, slug, smash, strike, whack |
| Main Entry: | bat |
| Part of Speech: | noun, verb |
| Definition: | a hit with a solid object |
| Synonyms: | bang, belt, blow, bop, crack, knock, rap, slam, smack, sock, strike, swat, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whop |
| Main Entry: | belittle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | detract |
| Synonyms: | bad-mouth, blister, criticize, cut down to size, cut to the quick, decry, deprecate, depreciate, deride, derogate, diminish, discount, discredit, disparage, dispraise, downgrade, downplay, dump on, knock*, lower, minimize, pan, pooh pooh, poor mouth, put down, rip*, roast, run down, scoff at, scorch*, scorn, shoot down, shoot full of holes, slam*, smear, sneer at, sour grapes, squash, squelch, take a swipe at, take down, take down a peg, tear down, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, write off |
| Antonyms: | build up, exaggerate, praise, value |