trounce
/trauns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To defeat decisively or severely: To beat an opponent thoroughly in a competition, contest, or conflict.
- To punish or beat severely: To inflict a harsh physical beating, often with a whip, rod, or similar object.
- To reprimand or censure harshly: To scold or criticize someone severely and angrily.
Usage and Examples
- To defeat decisively:
- The champion boxer trounced his inexperienced opponent in the first round.
- Our team was trounced in the finals, losing by thirty points.
- To punish or beat severely (This usage is less common and can be considered harsh or archaic):
- In the old story, the cruel king would trounce anyone who disobeyed him.
- To reprimand harshly:
- The manager trounced the employee for the serious error in the report.
- She trounced her son for lying to her.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Connotation of Overwhelming Force: The word "trounce" carries a strong connotation of a one-sided, overwhelming victory or reprimand. It is not used for close contests or mild criticism.
- Formality: It is more common in informal or journalistic contexts when describing sports or competitions. The meaning related to physical beating is now rare and dramatic.
Variants and Related Words
- Trouncing (noun): A severe defeat or beating.
- The election resulted in a complete trouncing for the incumbent party.
Synonyms
- Defeat: To win a victory over.
- Thrash: To beat soundly in a contest or, informally, to defeat decisively.
- Drub: To beat decisively.
- Berate: To scold or criticize angrily (for the reprimand meaning).
- Castigate: To reprimand severely.
Phrasal Verbs
(The word "trounce" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions.)
Related Idioms
(There are no common idioms that centrally feature the word "trounce.")
Verb
- censure severely or angrily
- The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car
- The deputy ragged the Prime Minister
- The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup
- come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
- Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship
- We beat the competition
- Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game
- beat severely with a whip or rod
- The teacher often flogged the students
- The children were severely trounced