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Definition of slam verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

slam

verb
 
 
/slæm/
 
/slæm/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they slam
 
/slæm/
 
/slæm/
he / she / it slams
 
/slæmz/
 
/slæmz/
past simple slammed
 
/slæmd/
 
/slæmd/
past participle slammed
 
/slæmd/
 
/slæmd/
-ing form slamming
 
/ˈslæmɪŋ/
 
/ˈslæmɪŋ/
Idioms
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  1.  
    [intransitive, transitive] to shut, or to make something shut, with a lot of force, making a loud noise synonym bang
    • I heard the door slam behind him.
    • + adj. A window slammed shut in the wind.
    • slam something He stormed out of the house, slamming the door as he left.
    • slam something + adj. She slammed the lid shut.
    • + adv./prep. She slammed out of the room (= went out and slammed the door behind her).
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • hard
    • loudly
    • angrily
    • …
    verb + slam
    • hear something
    preposition
    • against
    • behind
    • into
    • …
    phrases
    • slam something home
    • slam on the brakes
    • slam (something) shut
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
    [transitive] slam something + adv./prep. to put, push or throw something into a particular place or position with a lot of force
    • She slammed down the phone angrily.
    • He slammed on the brakes (= stopped the car very suddenly).
    Extra Examples
    • He repeatedly slammed the man's head against the wall.
    • He slammed home the penalty for goal number two.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • hard
    • loudly
    • angrily
    • …
    verb + slam
    • hear something
    preposition
    • against
    • behind
    • into
    • …
    phrases
    • slam something home
    • slam on the brakes
    • slam (something) shut
    • …
    See full entry
  3. [intransitive, transitive] to crash into something with a lot of force; to make somebody/something crash into something with a lot of force
    • + adv./prep. The car skidded and slammed into a tree.
    • (figurative) Kath's heart slammed against her ribs.
    • slam somebody/something + adv./prep. The force of the explosion slammed me against the wall.
    Synonyms crashcrashslam ▪ collide ▪ smash ▪ wreckThese are all words that can be used when something, especially a vehicle, hits something else very hard and is damaged or destroyed.crash to hit an object or another vehicle, causing damage; to make a vehicle do this:
    • I was terrified that the plane would crash.
    slam (something) into/​against somebody/​something to crash into something with a lot of force; to make something do this:
    • The car skidded and slammed into a tree.
    collide (rather formal) (of two vehicles or people) to crash into each other; (of a vehicle or person) to crash into somebody/​something else:
    • The car and the van collided head-on in thick fog.
    smash (rather informal) to crash into something with a lot of force; to make something do this; to crash a car:
    • Ram-raiders smashed a stolen car through the shop window.
     crash, slam or smash?Crash is used especially to talk about vehicles and can be used without a preposition: We’re going to crash, aren’t we? In this meaning slam and smash always take a preposition: We’re going to slam/​smash, aren’t we? They are used for a much wider range of things than just vehicles. wreck to crash a vehicle and damage it so badly that it is not worth repairingPatterns
    • two vehicles crash/​collide
    • two vehicles crash/​slam/​smash into each other
    • to crash/​smash/​wreck a car
    Topics Transport by car or lorryc2
  4. [transitive] slam somebody/something (used especially in newspapers) to criticize somebody/something very strongly
    • The government has been slammed for failing to take firm action against drinking and driving.
    5. Word Originlate 17th cent.: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Old Norse slam(b)ra.
Idioms
shut/slam the door in somebody’s face
  1. to shut a door hard when somebody is trying to come in
  2. to refuse to talk to somebody or meet them, in a rude way
See slam in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: slam

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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