Shellacking — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /shə-ˈla-kiŋ/ shel·lack·ing

Meaning & Definition of Shellacking

Shellacking (noun)

  1. a decisive defeat, drubbing

Shellacking (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. failure to win a contest

    "suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition"

    similar: beating, defeat, drubbing, licking, loss, lump, overthrow, plastering, rout, trimming, trouncing, whipping
    related: collapse, debacle, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, nonsuccess, setback, upset, lurch, shutout, washout, whitewash
    opposite: success, triumph, victory, win
    near: accomplishment, achievement, blowout, cakewalk, landslide, romp, runaway, sweep, walkaway, walkover

Shellacking (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season"

    similar: annihilating, blowing away, bombing, burying, clobbering, creaming, drubbing, dusting, flattening, pasting, routing, skinning, skunking, smoking (slang), smothering, snowing under, thrashing, trimming, tromping, trouncing, walloping, waxing (slang), whipping, whomping, whopping, whupping, beating the pants off, eating alive, running circles around, wiping the floor with
    related: sweeping, upsetting, beating, besting, conquering, dispatching, hurdling, licking, mastering, overbearing, overcoming, overmatching, prevailing (over), subduing, surmounting, taking, throwing, triumphing (over), winning (against), worsting, crushing, knocking off, knocking over, overpowering, overthrowing, overwhelming, subjugating, upending, vanquishing, acing (out), bettering, eclipsing, exceeding, outdistancing, outdoing, outfighting, outshining, outstripping, overtopping, surpassing, topping, transcending, edging (out), nosing out, pipping (British), capping, excelling, flourishing, scoring, succeeding, breaking, destroying, doing in, finishing, sinking, slaughtering

Related Entry: Shellac (verb)

Shellac is a different word from Shellacking. The synonyms below are for shellac, not for shellacking.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season"

    similar: annihilate, blow away, bomb, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, skin, skunk, smoke (slang), smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax (slang), whip, whomp, whop, whup, beat the pants off, eat alive, run circles around, wipe the floor with
    related: sweep, upset, beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst, crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shellacking

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shellacking:

Slang: smoking, waxing
beating, defeat, drubbing, licking, loss, lump, overthrow, plastering, rout, trimming, trouncing, whipping, annihilating, blowing away, bombing, burying, clobbering, creaming, dusting, flattening, pasting, routing, skinning, skunking, smothering, snowing under, thrashing, tromping, walloping, whomping, whopping, whupping, beating the pants off, eating alive, running circles around, wiping the floor with

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Shellacking

Words with the opposite meaning of Shellacking:

success, triumph, victory, win

Related Words for Shellacking

collapse, debacle, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, nonsuccess, setback, upset, lurch, shutout, washout, whitewash, sweeping, upsetting, besting, conquering, dispatching, hurdling, mastering, overbearing, overcoming, overmatching, prevailing (over), subduing, surmounting, taking, throwing, triumphing (over), winning (against)

Near Antonyms of Shellacking

accomplishment, achievement, blowout, cakewalk, landslide, romp, runaway, sweep, walkaway, walkover

Origin & Etymology of Shellacking

First known use: 1931

Frequently Asked Questions about Shellacking

What does "Shellacking" mean?

"Shellacking" means a decisive defeat, drubbing. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a decisive defeat, drubbing. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shellacking"?

Other words for "Shellacking" include beating, defeat, drubbing, licking, loss, lump, overthrow and plastering. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shellacking" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shellacking"?

There are 105 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shellacking". Common alternatives include beating, defeat, drubbing, licking, loss, lump, overthrow, plastering, rout and trimming.

What is the opposite of "Shellacking"?

Antonyms of "Shellacking" include success, triumph, victory and win. Near antonyms include accomplishment, achievement, blowout and cakewalk.

How do you use "Shellacking" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shellacking" in a sentence: "suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition"; "the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season".

Is "Shellacking" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Shellacking" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Shellacking"?

"Shellacking" is pronounced /shə-ˈla-kiŋ/ and divided into syllables as shel·lack·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Shellacking"?

First known use: 1931.