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Definition of 'bludgeon'

Word Frequency

bludgeon

(blʌdʒən )
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense bludgeons , present participle bludgeoning , past tense, past participle bludgeoned
1. verb
To bludgeon someone means to hit them several times with a heavy object.
He broke into the old man's house and bludgeoned him with a hammer. [VERB noun]
A wealthy businessman has been found bludgeoned to death. [V-ed + to]
Synonyms: club, batter, beat, strike   More Synonyms of bludgeon
2. verb
If someone bludgeons you into doing something, they make you do it by behaving aggressively.
Their approach simply bludgeons you into submission. [VERB noun + into]
His relentless aggression bludgeons you into seeing his point. [V n into n/-ing]
Synonyms: bully, force, cow, intimidate   More Synonyms of bludgeon
More Synonyms of bludgeon
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

bludgeon in British

(ˈblʌdʒən )
noun
1. 
a stout heavy club, typically thicker at one end
2. 
a person, line of argument, etc, that is effective but unsubtle
verb (transitive)
3. 
to hit or knock down with or as with a bludgeon
4. (often foll by into)
to force; bully; coerce
they bludgeoned him into accepting the job
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
bludgeoner (ˈbludgeoner)
  noun
Word origin of 'bludgeon'
C18: of uncertain origin
Word Frequency

bludgeon in American

(ˈblʌdʒən ; blujˈən)
noun
1. 
a short club with a thick, heavy, or loaded end
verb transitive, verb intransitive
2. 
to strike with or as with a bludgeon
3. 
to bully or coerce
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'bludgeon'
? altered < MFr bougeon, dim. of bouge, a club

Word Lists

club

Trends of 'bludgeon'

Used Rarely. bludgeon is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Translations for 'bludgeon'

British English: bludgeon VERB
To bludgeon someone means to hit them several times with a heavy object.
He broke into the old man's house and bludgeoned him with a hammer.
  • American English: bludgeon
  • Brazilian Portuguese: bater em
  • Chinese: > 连击用重器
  • European Spanish: apalear
  • French: matraquer
  • German: niederknüppeln
  • Italian: colpire ripetutamentecon un oggetto
  • Japanese: 殴打する
  • Korean: 둔기로 때리다
  • European Portuguese: bater em
  • Spanish: apalear

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Nearby words of 'bludgeon'

  • blubbing
  • blucher
  • bludge
  • bludgeon
  • bludger
  • blue
  • Blue Angel

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'B'

Source

Definition of bludgeon from the Collins English Dictionary

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Scrabble score for 'bludgeon': 12
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