thrashing
/ˈθræʃɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [θrˈæʃɪŋ] /ˈθræʃɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [θrˈæʃɪŋ] /ˈthra-shiŋ How to pronounce thrashing (audio)/ (ame, mw)
thrashing — noun
- thrashingsingular
- thrashingsplural
1. a situation in which a person or team is very easily defeated in a competition,
a situation in which a person or team is very easily defeated in a competition, game, or election, usually by a large margin
Brazil gave Argentina a 6–0 thrashing in the World Cup semi-final.
give + [team] + a thrashing (competition)
Dewi's chess club gave the neighbouring school a thrashing at the city tournament.
The incumbent party suffered a thorough thrashing in the local elections last week.
Stefan's trivia team handed the reigning champions their worst thrashing in five years.
Our basketball team took a thrashing from the defending champions last night.
- rout
suggests a disorganized retreat by the losers; stronger than thrashing
- drubbing
older term, common in British sports journalism, often interchangeable
- shellacking
American informal term; implies a humiliating defeat
- close game
a competition where both sides are evenly matched
- nail-biter
a game that is tense and uncertain until the very end
文法句型
give + [team/person] + a thrashing
take/suffer + a thrashing
a thrashing + at the hands of + someone
用法筆記
Common in sports journalism and casual conversation about competitions. The word is stronger than 'defeat' — it always implies the winner was overwhelmingly better than the loser.
常見錯誤
2. the act of hitting someone repeatedly and hard as a punishment for wrongdoing, t
the act of hitting someone repeatedly and hard as a punishment for wrongdoing, typically with a stick, belt, or similar object
Rachid's grandfather recalled how teachers gave thrashings to students who cheated on exams.
give + someone + a thrashing (punishment)
The barn still held a leather strap Mr. Chen used for thrashings when farm animals misbehaved.
a thrashing + for + [misbehaviour]
Kasia scolded her dog for digging in the trash but gave it no thrashing.
A wooden paddle on the school wall marked where thrashings were given for talking in class.
- reward
a positive consequence rather than a punishment
文法句型
give + someone + a thrashing
receive/get + a thrashing
a thrashing + from + someone
用法筆記
Often occurs in the phrase 'give someone a thrashing' or 'receive a thrashing'. The literal sense of physical beating has become less common in modern daily conversation, though it still appears in historical writing and figurative uses.
常見錯誤
3. a violent and uncontrolled side-to-side movement of the body or a body part, usu
a violent and uncontrolled side-to-side movement of the body or a body part, usually caused by pain, fear, illness, or injury
The patient's violent thrashing on the hospital bed alarmed the night-shift nurse.
possessive + thrashing (uncontrolled movement)
Eric could hear the dog's frightened thrashing inside the kennel during the thunderstorm.
The lifeguard spotted the swimmer's thrashing and dove into the water within seconds.
Kenji watched the fish's desperate thrashing through the clear water after it swallowed the hook.
- flailing
describes wild, uncoordinated waving of limbs, often in panic or distress
- convulsing
medical term for rhythmic, involuntary muscle contractions, more specific than thrashing
- writhing
twisting and turning in pain or discomfort, usually slower and more deliberate than thrashing
文法句型
possessive + thrashing
the thrashing + of + [body part/creature]
用法筆記
Describes involuntary, chaotic movement. Frequently used in medical contexts (patient thrashing in seizure or delirium), animal behaviour (fish on a hook, frightened pet), and water-rescue scenarios.