slam

SLAM/slæm/

Noun pluralslams

31 meanings of slam

1
verbtransitive
To shut something hard so it makes a loud bang.
Like pushing a book shut so fast it makes a loud clap.
She slammed the door so hard the windows shook.
Don't slam the cupboard when you're angry.
Similarbang
Note
2
verbtransitive
To put something down hard so it makes a loud noise.
Like dropping a heavy box on the floor with a loud bang.
Don't slam your bag on the table like that.
She slammed her cup down and left the room.
Similarfling, bang, throw, hurl, slap
3
nouncountable
The loud bang made when a door is shut hard.
Like the loud bang of a firework going off close by.
The slam of the door made everyone jump.
We heard a loud slam from upstairs.
Similarbang, crash, thud
Note
4
nouncountable
A sudden, hard hit against something.
Like the thump you feel when two cars bump together.
The slam of the waves knocked him off balance.
She felt the slam of the ball against her glove.
Similarimpact, crash, smash, bang, blow
5
verbtransitive or intransitive
To hit something hard using a tool or object.
Try to slam the ball over the net with your racket.
He was slamming away at the stuck nail with a hammer.
Similarsmash, hammer, pound, bash, whack
Note
6
verbintransitive
To crash hard against something all at once.
Like a ball bouncing hard off a wall.
The boat slammed into the dock during the storm.
Waves slam against the rocks all day long.
Similarcrash, smash, plow, pound, bang
Note
7
verbcolloquialtransitive
To say very bad things about someone or something.
Like telling everyone, loudly, how bad something is.
Critics slammed the movie for its weak plot.
Fans slam the team whenever they lose.
Similarcriticize, condemn, denounce, blast, bash
Oppositesupport, back
Note
8
verbslangtransitive
To beat someone easily in a game or match.
Like winning a game so easily the other side never had a chance.
Our team slammed the visitors by twenty points.
They slam every opponent they face this season.
Similarbeat, crush, thrash, trounce, rout
Note
9
verbtransitive or intransitive
To push the basketball down through the hoop with great force.
Like pushing a ball straight down into a basket from above.
He jumped high and slammed the ball through the net.
She can slam with either hand.
Similardunk, jam, stuff
Note
10
nouncountable
A forceful basketball shot pushed straight down through the hoop.
Like a strong downward push of the ball into the basket.
The crowd roared after his powerful slam.
Her slam sealed the win in the final seconds.
Similardunk, jam

11
nouncolloquialUScountable
A rude or hurtful remark aimed at someone.
Like a mean remark meant to hurt someone's feelings.
That comment was a real slam at her cooking.
He took the joke as a slam and walked away.
Similardig, swipe, jab, barb, insult
Oppositecompliment
Note
12
nouncountable
Winning all, or all but one, of the main events in one year or sports season.
Like a student getting top marks in every subject in one school year.
She won all four big tournaments this year, a slam nobody had managed in a long time.
They are one title away from a slam this year.
Similarsweep
Note
13
nouncountable
One of the four biggest tennis tournaments held each year.
Like one of the four biggest contests on the year's calendar.
Winning a slam is the dream of every young player.
She reached the final of her first slam at nineteen.
Similarmajor
Note
14
verbcolloquialUStransitive
To keep someone very busy with a lot of work.
Like getting so many jobs at once you can barely keep up.
The orders slam the kitchen staff every Friday night.
A sudden rush of customers slammed the small café.
Similarswamp, overwhelm, inundate, flood
Note
15
verbtransitive
To drink something very fast, all at once.
Like drinking a whole glass of water in one go.
He slammed his soda and ran out the door.
They slam their drinks before the game starts.
Similardrink, imbibe
Oppositesip, nurse
16
verbintransitive
To take part in a poetry contest where people read poems out loud and get scores.
Like entering a singing contest, but with poems you read out loud.
Teens from the local school slam at the library every month.
She has been slamming since high school.
17
nouncountable or uncountable
A live event where poets read their own poems out loud and judges or the crowd give them scores.
Like an open-mic night turned into a scored contest.
She won the slam with a poem about her hometown.
Local slams give new writers a chance to perform.
18
nouncountable
In the card game bridge, a high bid to win nearly all or all of the rounds in a hand.
Like promising to win nearly every game in a series before it starts.
They bid a slam and won every trick they needed.
A slam pays off big but is risky to try.
Note
19
nouncountable or uncountable
A fast card game with no turns, where everyone plays at the same time to get rid of their cards first.
Like a card race where the fastest player wins.
We played slam until midnight at the cabin.
Slam gets loud because everyone plays at once.
Similarspit
20
verbslangvulgartransitive
To have sex with someone in a rough, forceful way.
He bragged that he slammed her the night before.
They slam each other whenever they get the chance.
Note
21
verbslangtransitive
To hit someone so hard that they die or cannot move for a while.
If he tries that again, they will slam him for good.
A single punch slammed the bigger man unconscious.
Similarknock, flatten, deck, floor
Note
22
verbslangtransitive or intransitive
To put a drug straight into a vein with a needle.
He started to slam heroin in his late teens.
Users who slam drugs face a higher risk of infection.
Similarinject, shoot, mainline
Note
23
noununcountable
A type of heavy metal music with slow, heavy beats and chugging guitar parts.
Like death metal slowed down and made even heavier.
He listens to slam when he works out.
The band plays slam with brutal breakdowns.
Note
24
nouncountable
In card games, the result of one side winning or losing every round in a single game.
Like winning every single point so the other side gets none.
She pulled off a slam and won every round.
Going for a slam can backfire if you lose one round.
Note
25
verbtransitive
In card games, to beat the other players by winning every round of a hand.
Like winning a match without letting the other side score once.
She slammed her opponents in the last round.
They love to slam beginners who do not know the rules.
Similarsweep
Note
26
verbintransitive
In the card game bridge, to bid to win nearly all or all of the rounds in a hand.
Like promising to win almost every round before play even starts.
With such strong cards, they decided to slam.
You should only slam when your hand is very strong.
Note
27
verbtransitive
To switch a customer to a different phone or service company without asking them first.
Like someone signing you up for a new service without ever asking you.
The company slammed thousands of customers without telling them.
It is illegal to slam people onto a new phone plan.
Note
28
nouncountable or uncountable
A notebook that friends pass around so each person can write notes and answers in it.
Like a shared diary that many friends each write in.
She passed her slam around the class for everyone to sign.
Each page of the slam asked a different question.
Note
29
nounobsoleteuncountable
An old card game from long ago, also called ruff and honors.
After supper the gentlemen sat down to a game of slam.
They wagered a few coins on slam by the fire.
Note
30
nounobsolete
A clumsy man who walks in a slow, awkward, shuffling way.
The old slam shuffled across the yard to fetch water.
Nobody would hire the slam because he was so slow and clumsy.
Note
31
noundialectalUK
A yellow waste material left after making alum.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–11, 13–17, 20–23, 27–28

It probably came from an old Scandinavian word. Old Norse slæma meant to strike or swing a weapon.

Meanings 12, 18–19, 24–26, 29

Its origin is not known, but it may have been influenced by the first slam. It is a doublet of chelem.