Bash
/bæʃ/noun
To strike something hard, or to criticize someone severely.
Did you know?In English, bash is a relatively late word, but its family reaches back to Old Norse and Germanic forms tied to striking and crushing, showing how physical force often becomes emotional force in language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*baskōną
“to beat, strike”
Old Norse
ON
bask
“to beat, thrash”
Middle English
ME
bashen
“to strike heavily, smash”
Early Modern English
English
bash
“to strike hard; to beat or buffet”
Modern English
English
bash
“to hit hard; to criticize severely”