Slam — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈslam/

Meaning & Definition of Slam

Slam (verb)

  1. to shut forcibly and noisily, bang
  2. to set or slap down violently or noisily
  3. to propel, thrust, or produce by or as if by striking hard

Slam (noun)

  1. a noisy violent closing
  2. a banging noise; especially, one made by the slam of a door
  3. a heavy blow or impact
  4. grand slam
  5. little slam

Slam (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to shove into a closed position with force and noise

    "please don't slam the door every time you step out"

    similar: bang
    related: close, shut, stop, bar, batten (down), bolt, chain, fasten, latch, lock, seal, secure
    near: open, unbar, unbolt, unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unseal

  2. to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner

    "she slammed the ball deep into center field"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap, hang one on
    related: batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste, lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough, scuff, bunt, flick, stroke, tap, bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp, bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump (slang), fell, floor, knock down, level, rabbit-punch, sucker punch, cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip, bean, brain, conk, skull

  3. to come into usually forceful contact with something

    "the car slammed into the wall with a fearful crunch"

    similar: bang, bash, bump, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, ram, smash, strike, swipe, thud
    related: bounce, carom, clunk, glance, rebound, ricochet, skim, skip, contact, land, touch, brush, graze, kiss, nudge, scrape, shave, sweep, bulldoze, jostle, muscle, press, push
    near: miss, skirt

  4. to criticize harshly and usually publicly

    "slammed the cast members for forgetting their lines on opening night"

    similar: abuse, assail, attack, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, excoriate, jump (on), lambaste, potshot, savage, scathe, trash, vituperate, beat up on, light into, sail into, tie into
    related: berate, harangue, harass, harry, revile, scold, whip, blaspheme, curse, execrate, imprecate, profane, affront, insult, slur, asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, blackguard, disparage, put down, libel, slander, traduce, vilify, chastise, chide, criticize, lace (into), rebuke, reprimand, fulminate, lash (out)
    near: acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise

Slam (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

    "gave the stubborn nail one last slam with the hammer"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse (British), fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup (dialect), lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop
    related: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

  2. a loud explosive sound

    "shut the door with a loud slam"

    similar: bang, blast, boom, clap, crack, crash, pop, report, smash, snap, thunderclap, thwack, whack, whomp, whump
    related: thunk, wham, clang, clangor, clank, clash, knock, rap, tap, blare, clamor, howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, outcry, roar, tumult, uproar

  3. a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody

    "sported a gang tattoo on his arm that had gotten him plenty of respect in the slam"

    similar: bastille, big house (slang), bridewell, brig, calaboose, can, clink (slang), cooler, coop, guardroom, hock, hold, hoosegow, jail, jailhouse, joint (slang), jug, lockup, nick (British slang), pen, penitentiary, pokey (slang), prison, quod (British slang), slammer, stir (slang), stockade, tolbooth (Scottish)
    related: bull pen, cage, cell, hole, tank, block, ward, glasshouse (British), guardhouse, hulk(s), concentration camp, gulag, labor camp, prison camp, stalag, work camp, dungeon, keep, oubliette, reformatory, reform school, training school
    near: outside

  4. a forceful coming together of two things

    "the sudden slam of my head against the trunk of the car"

    similar: bump, collision, concussion, crash, impact, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, smash, strike, wallop
    related: blow, buffet, hit, knock, punch, rap, slap, thump, bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, contact, encounter, meeting, touch

Related Entry: Slam-bang (adjective)

Slam-bang is a different word from Slam. The synonyms below are for slam-bang, not for slam.

  1. marked by a high volume of sound

    "heard a slam-bang crash from the garage"

    similar: blaring, blasting, booming, clamorous, clangorous, deafening, earsplitting, loud, piercing, plangent, resounding, ringing, roaring, sonorous, stentorian, thundering, thunderous
    related: brazen, dinning, discordant, noisy, obstreperous, raucous, rip-roaring, vociferous, grating, harsh, overloud, sharp, shrill, squealing, strident
    opposite: gentle, low, soft
    near: dead, quiet, silent, still, stilly, ultraquiet, calm, dreamy, peaceful, restful, serene, soothing, tranquil, hushed, muffled, muted, softened, toned (down)

Related Entry: Slam dunk (noun)

Slam dunk is a different word from Slam. The synonyms below are for slam dunk, not for slam.

  1. one that is certain to succeed

    "since he was trying his first case, the assistant district attorney was assigned a burglary case that was a slam dunk"

    similar: cinch, lock, shoo-in, sure thing, lead-pipe cinch
    related: certainty, inevitability, eventuality, foregone conclusion
    near: dark horse, long shot

Related Entry: Slam dunks (noun)

Slam dunks is a different word from Slam. The synonyms below are for slam dunks, not for slam.

  1. one that is certain to succeed

    "since he was trying his first case, the assistant district attorney was assigned a burglary case that was a slam dunk"

    similar: cinches, locks, shoo-ins, sure things, lead-pipe cinches
    related: certainties, inevitabilities, eventualities, foregone conclusions
    near: dark horses, long shots

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Slam

The most common words with a similar meaning to Slam:

Slang: big house, clink, joint, pokey, stir
British slang: nick, quod
British: douse
Dialect: larrup
Scottish: tolbooth
bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale

Related Words for Slam

close, shut, stop, bar, batten (down), bolt, chain, fasten, latch, lock, seal, secure, batter, bung, drub, lace, mangle, maul, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough, scuff, bunt, flick, tap, butt, jab, jostle, knee

Near Antonyms of Slam

open, unbar, unbolt, unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unseal, miss, skirt, acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise, outside

Word Forms of Slam

Inflections: slammed, slamming

Origin & Etymology of Slam

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian slamre to bang, Swedish slamra to rattle

First known use: circa 1691t

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Slam

Words & Phrases Containing Slam

slam-bang, slam dunk, grand slam, little slam, slam/jam on the brakes

Frequently Asked Questions about Slam

What does "Slam" mean?

"Slam" means to shut forcibly and noisily, bang. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to shut forcibly and noisily, bang. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Slam"?

Other words for "Slam" include bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob and bonk. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Slam" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Slam"?

There are 329 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Slam". Common alternatives include bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop and box.

What is a slang word for "Slam"?

Slang words for "Slam" include big house, clink, joint, pokey, stir and nick.

How do you use "Slam" in a sentence?

Examples of "Slam" in a sentence: "please don't slam the door every time you step out"; "she slammed the ball deep into center field"; "the car slammed into the wall with a fearful crunch".

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

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

Is "Slam" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Slam" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Slam"?

"Slam" is pronounced /ˈslam/.