English Explanatory Dictionary

sledgehammer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swung powerfully, and to distribute force over a wide area upon impact.
verb
  1. To strike (something) with a sledgehammer.
adj
  1. Completely lacking grace and dexterity.

Pronunciation

/ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/ /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmɚ/ en-us-sledgehammer.ogg

Word forms

sledgehammer sledgehammers sledge-hammer sledgehammering sledgehammered more sledgehammer most sledgehammer

Etymology

Compound of sledge + hammer.

Related words

forehammer hammer shotgun approach

Derived words

use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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