bang

[[t]bæ̱ŋ[/t]]

bangs, banging, banged

1) N-COUNT; SOUND A bang is a sudden loud noise such as the noise of an explosion.

I heard four or five loud bangs...

She slammed the door with a bang...

The television went bang.

2) VERB If something bangs, it makes a sudden loud noise, once or several times.

The engine spat and banged.

3) V-ERG If you bang a door or if it bangs, it closes suddenly with a loud noise.

...the sound of doors banging...

[V adj] All up and down the street the windows bang shut...

[V n] The wind banged a door somewhere.

Syn:

slam

4) VERB If you bang on something or if you bang it, you hit it hard, making a loud noise.

[V on n] We could bang on the desks and shout till they let us out...

[V n] There is no point in shouting or banging the table.

5) VERB If you bang something on something or if you bang it down, you quickly and violently put it on a surface, because you are angry.

[V n prep] She banged his dinner on the table...

[V n with adv] He banged down the telephone.

6) VERB If you bang a part of your body, you accidentally knock it against something and hurt yourself.

[V n] She'd fainted and banged her head...

[V n against/on n] He hurried into the hall, banging his shin against a chair in the darkness.

N-COUNT

Bang is also a noun.

...a nasty bang on the head.

7) VERB If you bang into something or someone, you bump or knock them hard, usually because you are not looking where you are going.

[V into n] I didn't mean to bang into you...

[V into n] Various men kept banging into me in the narrow corridor.

Syn:

bump

8) N-PLURAL The part of someone's hair that covers their forehead and that is cut straight across is referred to as their bangs. [AM]

My bangs were cut short, but the rest of my hair was long.

(in BRIT, use fringe)

9) ADV: ADV prep (emphasis) You can use bang to emphasize expressions that indicate an exact position or an exact time.

...bang in the middle of the track...

For once you leave bang on time for work.

Syn:

right

10) → See also big bang theory

11) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If you say bang goes something, you mean that it is now obvious that it cannot succeed or be achieved.

There will be more work to do, not less. Bang goes the fantasy of retirement at 35.

12) PHRASE: PHR after v If something begins or ends with a bang, it begins or ends with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, or success.

Her career began with a bang in 1986.

13) to bang your head against a brick wall → see brick

to bang two people's heads together → see head

Phrasal Verbs:

- bang on about

- bang out

- bang up