bludgeon

1 of 2

noun

blud·​geon ˈblə-jən How to pronounce bludgeon (audio)
1
: a short stick that usually has one thick or loaded end and is used as a weapon
2
: something used to attack or bully
the bludgeon of satire

bludgeon

2 of 2

verb

bludgeoned; bludgeoning; bludgeons

transitive verb

1
: to hit with heavy impact
was bludgeoned to death
2
: to attack or overcome by aggressive argument : bully
mental bludgeoning
We do not talk—we bludgeon one another with facts and theories …Henry Miller

Examples of bludgeon in a Sentence

Noun guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound Verb remodelers bludgeoned the wall with a sledgehammer to join the two rooms the boxer bludgeons opponents with an assortment of punches
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The men had no weapons on them beside their hard rubber coshes—short bludgeons or batons. Myke Cole and Michael Livingston, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2024 The Wolverines want to bludgeon teams for four quarters, however Alabama is more than capable of standing up to their run game. USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024 Xi has used his notion of national culture, largely defined by the Han Chinese majority, as a bludgeon for forcibly assimilating the country’s Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other such groups. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2023 The Second Amendment continues to be used as a bludgeon against new gun regulations despite many legal experts arguing that the founding fathers never intended to allow unfettered access to guns. Julian Zelizer, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023 But engaging with Rowling’s tweets on that particular news story requires getting in the weeds about a single, high-profile, messy-as-hell case that needs to be addressed with a scalpel, not a bludgeon. Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2023 But in an era of polarization and rising debt loads, the limit has been transformed into a political bludgeon. Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2023 The ankylosaurs were armored dinosaurs with large, bludgeon-like tails. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022
Verb
While serving a sentence of life in prison, Creech in 1981 bludgeoned a fellow inmate, David Jensen, with a sock filled with batteries, and pleaded guilty to the murder. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 Bulger, a Boston mobster, was bludgeoned to death in his bed hours after he was transferred to a new prison facility. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Once Leiva arrived for his shift, prosecutors said Berhe fatally stabbed and bludgeoned Leiva before fleeing the scene. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2024 Michigan is a like a sledgehammer that wants to bludgeon teams with its offense and suffocate them with its defense. USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 Skakel, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy’s widow, Ethel Kennedy, was found guilty in 2002 of the Oct. 30, 1975, bludgeoning death of Moxley, who lived across the street. David K. Li, NBC News, 3 Jan. 2024 During the 911 call, the homeowner reported his adult son bludgeoned his friend inside the residence and there was blood all over, according to a release. Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 On December 23, 1996, the 39-year-old woman was found bludgeoned to death near the gate of her vacation home near Toormore, at Ireland’s southwest tip. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024 In 1997, a hotel employee named Justin Sneed bludgeoned to death his boss, Barry Van Treese. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bludgeon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

verbal derivative of bludgeon entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bludgeon was in 1730

Dictionary Entries Near bludgeon

Cite this Entry

“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bludgeon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bludgeon

1 of 2 noun
blud·​geon ˈbləj-ən How to pronounce bludgeon (audio)
: a short club with one end thicker and heavier than the other

bludgeon

2 of 2 verb
: to hit very hard : beat

More from Merriam-Webster on bludgeon

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