slam
/slam
/verb (slams, slamming, slammed) [with object]
1Shut (a door, window, or lid) forcefully and loudly: he slams the door behind him as he leaves...
- The plane's propeller began to whirl loudly, and Cory slammed the door shut.
- When I finally did open it, I bolted inside and slammed the door shut behind myself.
- I glared at him not bothering to dignify that with a response, I walked out into the street slamming the door shut behind me.
Synonyms
bang, shut/close with a bang, shut/close noisily, shut/close with a crash, shut/close with force, fling shut
1.1 [no object] Be closed forcefully and loudly: she heard a car door slam...
- The door slammed and the car screeched off at high speed.
- As Tristan packs up his briefcase and prepares to leave the empty club for the night, he's surprised to hear the sound of a car door slamming outside.
- She heard yelling and a car door slamming and screeching off.
1.2 [with object and adverbial] Push or put something somewhere with great force: Charlie slammed down the phone...
- He pushed back slamming her into the wall she was chained to.
- The force from the explosion slammed Christin against the opposite wall hard.
- Dracainya was hit by an invisible force that slammed her into the wall behind her, cracking the stone.
1.3 [no object] (slam into) Crash into; collide heavily with: the car mounted the pavement, slamming into a lamp post...
- Witnesses spoke of hearing a distinctive crash as the train slammed into the car.
- Karen slams into Beltraw knocking him off-balance.
- Grunting, he toppled over, slamming into the Skipper and driving him against the bottom of the boat.
Synonyms
crash into, smash into, smack into, collide with, be in collision with, hit, strike, ram, plough into, meet head-on, run into, bump into, crack into/against;
North American impact
1.4 [with object and adverbial of direction] informal Hit (something) with great force in a particular direction: he slammed a shot into the net...
- Fortunately for a red-faced Basham, former Shelbourne striker Foran slammed his shot straight at the legs of Alan Fettis.
- Andrew Dawson hit the pass of the match with a ball that curled behind the Marske defence but Alcide could only slam his shot straight at Mohan.
- We were intensely hitting the ball back and forth to each other until she did hit that loopy shot, and I slammed it back at her.
1.5Put (something) into action suddenly or forcefully: I slammed on the brakes...
- Suddenly, he slams the car into reverse on the muddy road, almost sliding into a ditch.
- He screamed at the car, still slamming the brakes, but nothing was happening.
- Then his mouth slammed down on the smile as his right foot slammed down on the brakes.
1.6 [no object, with adverbial of direction] Move violently or loudly: he slammed out of the room...
- His fist slammed down onto the cold floor next to him.
- Aaron tried to take a step, but faltered and slammed back against the wall.
- Suddenly, her heel caught in a pothole and her body slammed to the ground.
1.7 informal, chiefly North American Score points against or gain a victory over (someone) easily: the Blue Devils slammed Kansas to win the title
1.8 short for slam-dance.The dance slam offered a stage and an audience to any solo or group dance up to five minutes in length.
2 informal Criticize severely: the new TV soap was slammed as being cynical and irresponsible...
- My first book, Premier Roman, was published when I was 23 and slammed by the critics.
- Critics have slammed the BBC for even considering the idea of running adverts on its Web site.
- His critics have slammed him for exaggerating racial and political issues confronting the city.
3 (usually as noun slamming) (Of a telephone company) take over the account of (a telephone customer) without their permission.ComReg also proposes an end to slamming where a customer has been signed over to a new supplier without consent....
- This proceeding represents the first joint federal/state effort against a company engaged in slamming.
noun
1A loud bang caused by the forceful shutting of something such as a door: the door closed with a slam...
- The door shut with an echoing slam, so loud in the unusual silence.
- With a loud slam, the door was tightly shut, and darkness once again returned to the room.
- It was at that precise moment that Madison casually strolled in, pulling the heavy barn door shut with a loud slam.
2 (usually the slam) North American informal Prison: if he challenged the judge, he was definitely going to the slam...
- Another postseason with no title, and now Rafael Furcal is in the slam.
- It could be fear, fear of the slam, and then that dictates to them what they should do.
Abbreviation of slammer
3chiefly US A poetry contest in which competitors recite their entries and are judged by members of the audience, the winner being elected after several elimination rounds: a poetry slam slams will be spreading out to suburban poetry clubs...
- Poetry slams consist of live performance-sometimes from a text, more often from memory.
- Performing is fun, but personally, I don't really care about the competition aspect of slam poetry.
- There's also a slam poetry event on the 14th where the winner gets 50 bucks and a slot in that night's gala.
4 Bridge A grand slam (all thirteen tricks) or small slam (twelve tricks), for which bonus points are scored if bid and made.The special combinations that beat twos are called slams....
- In the very first board of the final, she scored a ‘white slam century’ - all coins polished off in a single take.
Early 17th century (as the name of a card game): origin unknown
4.1(Especially in tennis) any of the individual championships that together comprise a Grand Slam: a stellar 12 months saw her win two slams and two Olympic gold medals, and retain the number one ranking...
- Federer has now won three slams from three finals.
- Nadal and Federer have both been eliminated from the Australian Open, and if Murray is ever going to win a slam, the door is open to him here.
- He'd gone nearly two and a half years without a slam title until he mastered Augusta for a second time in April.
Origin
Early 17th century: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Old Norse slam(b)ra.