clobber
/ˈklɒbə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈklɑːbər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈklä-bər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈklɒb.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈklɑː.bɚ/ (ame, ipa)
clobber — verb
- clobberpresent simple I / you / we / they
- clobbershe / she / it
- clobberedpast simple
- clobbering-ing form
1. to strike someone or something forcefully and many times in a row, usually with
to strike someone or something forcefully and many times in a row, usually with the fist or a heavy object.
Mauricio clobbered the burglar with a frying pan until the police arrived.
clobber + object with + instrument
The boxer clobbered his opponent in the third round and won by knockout.
Two older boys clobbered Ezra at the bus stop until a teacher chased them off.
Hannah grabbed a broom and clobbered the rat that ran across the kitchen floor.
文法句型
clobber + object
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person; object is the body, head, or a small animal. Distinguish from sense 4 (defeat) which uses a sports or game object.
常見錯誤
2. to beat an opponent by a wide margin in a sport, game, or contest.
to beat an opponent by a wide margin in a sport, game, or contest.
Sumin's chess team clobbered the visitors by winning every single match.
clobber + opposing team in a contest
Brazil clobbered the home side six goals to nil at the World Cup qualifier.
score margin signals the meaning
The debate club from Lincoln High got clobbered in the final by a younger team.
Iker expected a close match, but the Spanish side clobbered England four-nil.
- lose to
the passive 'be clobbered by X' is the natural opposite framing
文法句型
clobber + opponent
passive: be clobbered
用法筆記
Frequently used with score lines or large margins. Subject is usually a team, player, or party; object is the losing side. Often passive: 'we got clobbered'.
常見錯誤
3. to cause severe damage to someone's money, business, or finances — usually throu
to cause severe damage to someone's money, business, or finances — usually through prices, taxes, or a market crash.
Small farmers in Kerala were clobbered when the price of cotton fell by half.
passive: be clobbered by + economic cause
Rising fuel costs clobbered the airline's profits last quarter.
subject is the economic cause
Soraya's restaurant got clobbered by three months of closure during the floods.
The new property tax clobbered landlords who owned more than one apartment.
- boost
the opposite outcome — finances grow rather than collapse
文法句型
clobber + person/group
passive: be clobbered by + cause
用法筆記
Subject is typically an economic event (a tax, a crash, a price change); object is the people or businesses that lose money. Common in financial news headlines.
常見錯誤
4. to fully beat another person in a physical fight, leaving them unable to continu
to fully beat another person in a physical fight, leaving them unable to continue.
Andrei told the bullies he would clobber them if they bothered his little sister again.
threat usage: would clobber + person
In the alley behind the bar, two strangers clobbered a man who had stolen a wallet.
Maeve's older brother once clobbered a much taller boy in a wrestling match.
The street fighter clobbered three opponents before the security guards finally pulled him away.
文法句型
clobber + person in fight
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (HIT HARD): sense 1 focuses on the act of striking; this sense focuses on the outcome — the loser cannot fight back. Object is always a person, never an animal or object.
常見錯誤
clobber — noun
1. the clothes, bags, and other personal things that a person owns or is carrying w
the clothes, bags, and other personal things that a person owns or is carrying with them.
Christopher dumped his football clobber on the kitchen floor after training.
uncountable: noun + clobber
Yael packed her riding clobber into the back of the car before the long drive.
domain-specific clobber: riding/sailing/skiing
Get your clobber out of the hallway before your grandmother arrives.
Nicholas left his school clobber in a heap by the front door every evening.
文法句型
uncountable: all my clobber
用法筆記
Mainly British and Australian English; rare in American English. Always uncountable — no plural form. Often paired with an activity word: 'fishing clobber', 'school clobber', 'gym clobber'.