hammer

HAM-ur/ˈhæm.ɚ/HAM-uh/ˈhæm.ə(ɹ)/

Pluralhammers

Verbhammers, hammering, hammered

24 meanings of hammer

Practice

1
hand toolnouncountable
A tool with a heavy metal head on a handle, used to hit nails or break things.
Like a metal fist on a stick that lets you hit much harder.
She used a hammer to drive the nail into the wall.
Carpenters keep several hammers of different weights in the workshop.
Note
2
strike repeatedlyverbtransitive or intransitive
To hit something again and again, often with a tool or your fist.
Like knocking on a door over and over with your hand.
He had to hammer on the door before anyone heard him.
She hammered the tent pegs into the hard ground.
UsageSay hammer on the door, or hammer a nail.
Similarpound, batter, beat, bang, pummel
Note
3
stress a pointverbfigurativelytransitive
To repeat an idea strongly and often so people remember it.
Like saying something over and over until it sticks in your mind.
The coach kept hammering the importance of teamwork.
Our coach likes to hammer the same message every day: never give up.
UsageSay hammer home a point.
Similarstress, emphasize, reiterate, push, repeat
4
shape metalverbtransitive
To shape metal by hitting it again and again with a heavy tool.
Like pressing soft clay into shape, but using hits instead of your hands.
Blacksmiths hammer hot iron into useful shapes.
He hammered the soft copper into a thin bowl.
UsageSay hammer metal into a shape.
Similarforge, beat, shape, fashion
Note
5
athletics ballnouncountable
A heavy metal ball on a wire that athletes spin and throw.
Like swinging a ball on a string and then letting go to send it far.
The athlete swung the hammer in fast circles before the throw.
His hammer sailed past the old record mark.
UsageSay throw the hammer.
Note
6
gun partnouncountable
The part of a gun that swings down to set off the bullet.
Like a small lever that drops to make the gun fire.
He pulled back the hammer before taking aim.
The old pistol's hammer was stuck with rust.
UsageSay pull back the hammer.
Note
7
hard shotverbtransitive
To hit a ball or object very hard, with a lot of force.
Like hitting a ball as hard as you possibly can.
The striker hammered the ball into the back of the net.
She can hammer a tennis ball harder than anyone on the team.
UsageSay hammer the ball into the net.
Similarsmash, blast, drive, slam, thump
Note
8
defeat badlyverbslangfigurativelytransitive
To beat another team or person by a very large amount.
Like winning a game so badly that the other side never had a chance.
Our team hammered the visitors six to nothing.
They expect to hammer their rivals on Saturday.
UsageSay we hammered them after a big win.
Similarthrash, trounce, crush, rout, annihilate
9
piano partnouncountable
A small felt-covered piece of wood that hits the strings inside a piano.
Like a tiny soft mallet that taps the strings for you.
When you press a key, a hammer hits the string inside the piano.
The piano's hammers had worn down over the years.
Note
10
crushing forcenouncountable
A person or thing that hits hard and smashes things.
People called the old king the hammer of his enemies.
The new cannons were a hammer that broke the city walls.
UsageSay the hammer of his enemies.
Similarscourge, destroyer, nemesis
Note
11
push prices downverbtransitive
To push the price of a stock or a market down hard.
Big sellers hammered the stock all afternoon.
Bad news can hammer the whole market in minutes.
UsageSay a stock got hammered.
Similarbatter, pummel, depress, sink
Oppositeboost
Note

Less common meanings

12
throbverbintransitive
To beat or pound hard inside the body, like a fast, heavy heartbeat.
Like a drum being hit fast inside your chest.
His heart began to hammer when he heard the loud crash.
Her chest was hammering after she ran up the stairs.
UsageSay my heart was hammering.
Similarpound, throb, thump, race, pulse
Note
13
ear bonenouncountable
A tiny bone in the middle ear that helps you hear.
Like the first link in a chain that passes sound along.
The hammer is the first of three small bones that carry sound in the ear.
A blow to the head can damage the tiny hammer inside the ear.
Similarmalleus
Note
14
clock partnouncountable
The part of a clock that hits a bell to ring out the hour.
Like a tiny arm that taps a bell to tell you the time.
On the hour, the hammer swings up and hits the bell.
A bent hammer kept the old clock from chiming properly.
15
rough sexverbslangvulgartransitive
To have rough, forceful sex with someone.
He bragged that he hammered her all night.
She wanted him to hammer her against the wall.
Similarpound, smash
16
ride fastverbslangintransitive
To ride a bike very fast, pushing as hard as you can.
Like pedaling as fast as your legs can possibly go.
They hammered down the hill on their bikes.
She likes to hammer on the flat stretches of the route.
UsageSay riders hammer along the road.
Similarrace, speed, power
Oppositecoast
Note
17
overloadverbslangtransitive
To use a computer system or service so hard that it struggles to keep up.
Like too many cars trying to use one small road at the same time.
The new app hammered the server until it crashed.
Too many users can hammer a website during a big sale.
Similaroverload, swamp, flood, strain
Note
18
gas pedalnouncountable
The gas pedal that makes a vehicle go faster.
She pushed the hammer to the floor and sped off.
He kept his foot off the hammer in the heavy rain.
UsageSay put the hammer down to go fast.
Similaraccelerator, throttle, gas
Oppositebrake
Note
19
pistolnounslangcountable
A pistol or small gun that you can hold in one hand.
He carried a loaded hammer in his jacket for protection.
She kept a loaded hammer under the car seat.
Similargun, pistol, piece
Note
20
nounrare
A single hit given to something using a heavy tool.
21
noun
In curling, the last stone thrown in a round of play.
22
noun
A way of throwing a flying disc upside down and over your head.
23
verb
To officially announce that a trader on the stock exchange cannot pay their debts.
24
noun
Short for hammer headline: a very large, bold headline of just a word or two.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of hammer apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English hamor, going back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning a tool with a stone head. It may come even further back from a root meaning "stone."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Hammer descends from Old English hamor. en.wiktionary.org
Its Proto-Germanic ancestor is glossed as a tool with a stone head. en.wiktionary.org
A further derivation from a word meaning stone is possible. en.wiktionary.org