slam
1 of 3verb
ˈslam 
slammed; slamming
transitive verb
1
: to shut forcibly and noisily : bang
2
a
: to set or slap down violently or noisily
slammed down the phone
b
: to propel, thrust, or produce by or as if by striking hard
slam on the brakes
slammed the car into a wall
3
: to strike or beat hard : knock
4
: to criticize harshly
intransitive verb
1
: to make a banging noise
2
: to function (as in moving) with emphatic and usually noisy vigor
the hurricane slammed into the coast
slammed out of the room
3
: to utter verbal abuse or harsh criticism
slam
2 of 3noun (1)
1
a
: a noisy violent closing
b
: a banging noise
especially : one made by the slam of a door
2
: a heavy blow or impact
3
: a poetry competition performed before judges
4
: a cutting or violent criticism
5
: slammer
slam
3 of 3noun (2)
1
: grand slam
2
: little slam
Synonyms
Verb
- bang
Noun (1)
- 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
- whap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He slammed the door in my face. She slammed the drawer shut. He stepped inside and let the door slam behind him. In her anger, she slammed the ball against the fence. The car slid on the ice and slammed into a tree. Her arm slammed against the table. See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian slamre to bang, Swedish slamra to rattle
Noun (2)
origin unknown
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1691, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3
Noun (1)
1672, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun (2)
1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing slam
Kids Definition
slam
1 of 2 verb slammed; slamming
1
: to strike or beat hard
2
: to shut with force and noise : bang
slammed the door
3
: to set or slap down violently or noisily
slammed the books down on the table
4
: to make a banging noise
5
: to criticize harshly
slam
2 of 2 noun1
: a heavy blow
2
a
: a noisy violent closing
b
: a banging noise especially from the slamming of a door
3
: a cutting or violent criticism
slams 1 of 2
verb
1
as in shuts
to shove into a closed position with force and noise please don't slam the door every time you step out Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- shuts
- locks
- closes
- bangs
- latches
- stops
- seals
- secures
- chains
- fastens
- battens (down)
- bars
- bolts
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- opens
- unlocks
- unlatches
- unfastens
- unseals
- unbolts
- unbars
2
as in slaps
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner she slammed the ball deep into center field Synonyms & Similar Words
- slaps
- knocks
- smacks
- hits
- punches
- whacks
- bangs
- strikes
- claps
- swipes
- bashes
- pounds
- clips
- thumps
- kicks
- shoves
- cracks
- pushes
- bats
- swats
- wallops
- thwacks
- bludgeons
- raps
- hammers
- taps
- pokes
- licks
- nails
- jabs
- smites
- clobbers
- stabs
- zaps
- boxes
- bops
- clouts
- flicks
- bonks
- biffs
- tags
- bobs
- chops
- belts
- busts
- slugs
- clocks
- socks
- pastes
- mauls
- strokes
- bumps
- mangles
- pummels
- slogs
- whales
- beats
- lambasts
- slashes
- lambastes
- jostles
- dumps
- prods
- buffets
- knees
- whips
- batters
- hangs one on
- thrashes
- drubs
- cuffs
- bungs
- peppers
- stamps
- bunts
- butts
- lashes
- pelts
- pommels
- scuffs
- flails
- laces
- roughs
- decks
- switches
- flogs
- conks
- levels
- knocks down
- sledgehammers
- clubs
- creams
- floors
- cudgels
- saps
- fells
- spears
- beans
- sledges
- sucker punches
- canes
- brains
- skulls
- bowls (down or over)
- rabbit-punches
3
as in smashes
to come into usually forceful contact with something the car slammed into the wall with a fearful crunch Synonyms & Similar Words
- smashes
- collides
- bumps
- bangs
- knocks
- rams
- hits
- crashes
- swipes
- thuds
- bashes
- impinges
- impacts
- strikes
- bounces
- skips
- pushes
- glances
- scrapes
- sweeps
- lands
- rebounds
- brushes
- ricochets
- contacts
- clunks
- kisses
- touches
- skims
- shaves
- grazes
- nudges
- caroms
- presses
- jostles
- bulldozes
- muscles
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- misses
- skirts
4
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly slammed the cast members for forgetting their lines on opening night Synonyms & Similar Words
- attacks
- scolds
- blasts
- criticizes
- abuses
- bashes
- assails
- lambasts
- insults
- lambastes
- trashes
- excoriates
- potshots
- castigates
- ties into
- curses
- berates
- savages
- harasses
- sails into
- vituperates
- belabors
- scathes
- lights into
- reviles
- reprimands
- beats up on
- harries
- jumps (on)
- blasphemes
- chides
- belittles
- harangues
- whips
- disparages
- chastises
- affronts
- vilifies
- slurs
- rebukes
- execrates
- slanders
- profanes
- fulminates
- libels
- bad-mouths
- imprecates
- blackguards
- traduces
- asperses
- puts down
- laces (into)
- lashes (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- commends
- hails
- praises
- lauds
- compliments
- acclaims
slams
2 of 2noun
1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the stubborn nail one last slam with the hammer Synonyms & Similar Words
- blows
- slaps
- thumps
- hits
- swipes
- knocks
- punches
- thuds
- whacks
- smacks
- strokes
- pokes
- spanks
- pounds
- licks
- beats
- bangs
- claps
- swats
- smashes
- bashes
- clips
- kicks
- raps
- hooks
- switches
- biffs
- plumps
- wallops
- thwacks
- douses
- bops
- chops
- lashes
- whams
- belts
- hands
- picks
- hacks
- haymakers
- clouts
- socks
- buffets
- pelts
- cuffs
- knees
- swings
- whaps
- bats
- fillips
- cracks
- dabs
- slugs
- busts
- stripes
- lickings
- boxes
- welts
- stingers
- whops
- larrups
- counters
- counterpunches
- beatings
- counterstrokes
- whips
- shivers
- lefts
- counterblows
- body blows
- roundhouses
- uppercuts
- counter-strokes
- counter-blows
- batterings
- rights
- thrashings
- rabbit punches
- sucker punches
- knockdowns
- drubbings
- sidewinders
- bastinadoes
- whippings
- kayos
- crunchers
- one-twos
- knockouts
- bastinades
- KOs
- pastings
- wallopings
- right-handers
2
as in claps
a loud explosive sound shut the door with a loud slam Synonyms & Similar Words
- claps
- bangs
- blasts
- pops
- booms
- whacks
- smashes
- thwacks
- roars
- knocks
- crashes
- thunderclaps
- reports
- snaps
- cracks
- taps
- whomps
- whumps
- clangs
- whams
- thunks
- clanks
- howls
- clashes
- raps
- blares
- clamors
- outcries
- clangors
- hue and cries
- hullabaloos
- uproars
- hubbubs
- tumults
3
as in jails
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- jails
- prisons
- penitentiaries
- brigs
- slammers
- stirs
- holds
- clinks
- bastilles
- big houses
- bridewells
- quods
- pens
- stockades
- jugs
- lockups
- pokeys
- hocks
- guardrooms
- nicks
- jailhouses
- calabooses
- coolers
- cages
- coops
- tolbooths
- cans
- keeps
- hoosegows
- bull pens
- tanks
- joints
- dungeons
- holes
- labor camps
- prison camps
- cells
- concentration camps
- hulks
- wards
- work camps
- blocks
- guardhouses
- stalags
- reform schools
- training schools
- gulags
- glasshouses
- reformatories
- oubliettes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- outsides
4
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things the sudden slam of my head against the trunk of the car Synonyms & Similar Words
- collisions
- thumps
- slaps
- jolts
- impacts
- crashes
- blows
- shocks
- kicks
- knocks
- punches
- bumps
- wallops
- smashes
- encounters
- hits
- strikes
- contacts
- concussions
- jounces
- impingements
- jars
- raps
- buffets
- touches
- batterings
- bashings
- thrashings
- lickings
- meetings
- mealymouthed
- mealywing
- mean
- mean a thing
- mean business
- mean calorie
- mean curtains for
- mean deviation
- mean difference
- mean distance
- mean error
- mean free path
- mean life
- mean line
- mean midnight
- mean moon
- mean no offense
- mean noon
- mean nothing to
- mean nothing to (someone)
- mean nothing to someone
- mean obliquity
- mean place
- mean proportional
- mean reserve