banger

noun

bang·​er ˈbaŋ-ər 

1

British : sausage

2

British : firecracker

3

British : jalopy

4

informal : a forceful and aggressive athlete

Williamson, the 6- 7, 245-pound forward, is a versatile banger who loves to play inside and has a deft shooting touch.

—William C. Phoden

5

slang : a member of a street gang : gangbanger

He is disciplined, regimented, right down to the humiliating yet soothing ritual of picking up after his dog as he walks through the hood, past scornful young bangers …

—Mike Newirth

6

slang : an energetic song that is very striking or extraordinary

… it's a near-perfect hip-hop album for 2008, loaded with hardcore bangers, pop-friendly hooks, party anthems and confessional lyrics …

—Chuck Arnold

7

informal : an automobile or engine with a specified number of cylinders

—used in combination

When he first started driving Toyotas, they were four-bangers or V-6s …

—Jerry Garrett

Synonyms

• link
• sausage
• wurst

Examples of banger in a Sentence

bangers and mash is classic British pub cuisine

Recent Examples on the Web

Fans who have seen McCartney live describe it as something akin to discovering that Santa Claus is not only real but about to play two hours of straight bangers. —Nick Robins-Early, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025

Years later, Lady Gaga is poking fun at those pesky rumors with an era-appropriate pop culture banger. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025

Only a guttural scream in the song’s last 90 seconds can encapsulate the whirlwind of emotion from this cathartic banger. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2025

Nintendo ultimately came out on top, with its fantastic library of SNES games, but that doesn't mean that Sega didn't fight back with a few bangers of its own. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1