bludgeon

1 of 2

noun

blud·​geon ˈblə-jən 

1

: a short stick that usually has one thick or loaded end and is used as a weapon

2

: something used to attack or bully

the bludgeon of satire

bludgeon

2 of 2

verb

bludgeoned; bludgeoning; bludgeons

transitive verb

1

: to hit with heavy impact

was bludgeoned to death

2

: to attack or overcome by aggressive argument : bully

mental bludgeoning

We do not talk—we bludgeon one another with facts and theories …

—Henry Miller

Synonyms

Noun

• bastinado
• bastinade
• bat
• baton
• billy
• billy club
• cane
• club
• cudgel
• nightstick
• rod
• rung [Scottish]
• sap
• shillelagh
• shillalah
• staff
• truncheon
• waddy [Australian]

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Examples of bludgeon in a Sentence

Noun

guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound

Verb

remodelers bludgeoned the wall with a sledgehammer to join the two rooms

the boxer bludgeons opponents with an assortment of punches

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This in turn opens up the music, changing it from a bludgeon to a balm. —Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024

Conservatives have had it in for Chevron deference for a long time; given their current majority on the court, the doctrine’s death has been a foregone conclusion, awaiting only the appearance of a suitable case to use as a bludgeon. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024

Verb

Can the Chiefs similarly start bludgeoning teams as the season winds down? Perhaps. —Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 12 Dec. 2024

When texts are fed through the AI-summarization machine, each distinct voice is bludgeoned into monotony. —Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

verbal derivative of bludgeon entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bludgeon

1 of 2 noun

blud·​geon ˈbləj-ən 

: a short club with one end thicker and heavier than the other

bludgeon

2 of 2 verb

: to hit very hard : beat