bang
A sudden percussive noise.
Noun 4 meanings
A sudden percussive noise.
“When he struck it with a hammer, there was a loud bang.”
A heavy strike upon an object causing such a noise.
“I gave the door a bang and it swung open.”
An explosion.
“When he pushed the detonator, the bang blew him off his feet.”
The symbol !, known as an exclamation point.
“An e-mail address with an ! is called a bang path.”
Verb 4 meanings
To make sudden loud noises, often repeatedly, especially by exploding or hitting something.
“The fireworks banged away all through the night.”
To hit hard.
“He banged the door shut.”
To play a drum.
“He banged his bongo in sync with the band.”
To hammer or to hit anything hard.
“Hold the picture while I bang in this nail.”
Adverb 4 meanings
Right, directly.
“The passenger door was bang against the garage wall.”
Precisely, exactly, completely.
“He arrived bang on time.”
With a sudden impact.
“Distracted, he ran bang into the opening door.”
Used as a general intensifier.
“I'm bang up for it! (I'm very keen and willing to do it)”
Interjection 1 meaning
A sudden percussive sound, such as made by the firing of a gun, slamming of a door, etc.
“He pointed his finger at her like a gun and said, “Bang!””
Etymology
From Middle English *bangen, from Old English *bangian or borrowed from Old Norse banga (“to pound, hammer”); both from Proto-Germanic *bangōną (“to beat, pound”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰen- (“to beat, hit, injure”).
Similar and opposite words
BANG at a glance
BANG has 4 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (B 3 + A 1 + N 1 + G 2) and 10 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #4,060 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with bang
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