Thrash
/θræʃ/noun
To strike or beat repeatedly, or to move or struggle violently.
Did you know?Thrash is closely related to thresh, and both go back to an old Germanic root meaning to beat or strike repeatedly—language literally kept the sound of impact alive.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“to dry, rub, or thresh”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þreskaną
“to thresh, beat out grain”
Old English
Old English
þrescan
“to thresh grain by beating”
Middle English
Middle English
threschen
“to beat out grain; later, to beat or strike repeatedly”
16th Century
English
thrash
“to beat heavily or violently”
Modern English
English
thrash
“to beat, lash, or move about violently; also, to defeat decisively”