bang
bang — verb
1. to make a short, heavy noise, or to make something produce that noise.
to make a short, heavy noise, or to make something produce that noise.
The back gate banged in the wind all night.
intransitive: door or gate bang
Nina banged the pan onto the stove by mistake.
transitive: make an object bang
The old pipes banged when Dad turned on the shower.
Farouk banged the classroom door shut after the bell.
bang + object + shut
- bang shut
- bang against the wall
- door banged
- pipes banged
Grammar Patterns
subject + bang
bang + object + shut
bang + against + noun
Usage Note
Often used with doors, gates, pans, pipes, and other hard objects. Distinguish from sense 2, where a body part hits something by accident, and sense 3, where the focus is on striking something hard rather than on the noise itself.
Common Mistakes
2. to knock a part of your body hard against something without meaning to.
to knock a part of your body hard against something without meaning to.
Mia banged her knee on the table under the sink.
bang + body part + on + noun
I banged my elbow against the bus door this morning.
bang + body part + against + noun
While climbing out, Omar banged his head on the roof.
Lucy banged her hand against the wall in the dark.
- bang your head
- bang your knee
- bang your elbow
- bang against
Grammar Patterns
bang + body part + on + noun
bang + body part + against + noun
Usage Note
Object is usually the body part that got hurt, followed by 'on' or 'against' plus the thing it hit. Distinguish from sense 1: here the accident matters more than the sound.
Common Mistakes
3. to strike a ball or another thing with great force.
to strike a ball or another thing with great force.
Ethan banged the tennis ball over the high fence.
bang + ball + over + noun
The drummer banged the cymbals at the end of the song.
bang + instrument/object
Rosa banged the dust from the old rug outside.
Sam banged the ball into the goal from midfield.
bang + ball + into + noun
- bang the ball
- bang into the goal
- bang the drum
- bang against
Grammar Patterns
bang + ball/object + into + noun
bang + ball/object + over + noun
bang + object + against + noun
Usage Note
This sense is deliberate and forceful. Object is usually a ball, drum, rug, door, or another solid thing; if the action is accidental and involves a body part, use sense 2 instead.
Common Mistakes
4. a rude slang word for having sex with someone.
a rude slang word for having sex with someone.
The rude text said Jake wanted to bang his ex again.
offensive slang for sex
At the party, Kyle bragged he had banged Tina last summer.
The actor was criticized after joking he could bang anyone.
After the concert, one rude post claimed Max had banged a fan.
- bang someone
- have sex with
neutral and standard
- sleep with
common softer everyday phrase
- screw
also vulgar, but often even rougher in tone
Grammar Patterns
bang + person
Usage Note
Strongly offensive and very casual. Many learners should avoid using it entirely; neutral choices are 'have sex with' or, in some contexts, 'sleep with'.
Common Mistakes
bang about
phrasal verbTo move around noisily, making loud sounds.
The kids were banging about in the attic all afternoon.
Stop banging about and sit down quietly.
bang around
phrasal verbTo move or handle things roughly, causing noise.
He banged around the kitchen looking for a pan.
Don't bang around those boxes; they contain glass.
bang into
phrasal verbTo accidentally hit someone or something while moving.
Sara banged into the door frame and hurt her shoulder.
I banged into an old friend at the supermarket.
bang on
phrasal verbTo talk about something repeatedly or at great length.
My grandfather bangs on about the war every time we visit.
Stop banging on about your problems and do something.
bang up
phrasal verbTo damage something by hitting it or to injure someone.
Diego banged up his car when he hit a tree.
The kids banged up the furniture during their game.
To make people stop arguing and start acting reasonably.
The coach banged their heads together after the team's constant fighting.
If you two don't stop, I'll knock your heads together.
To enthusiastically support or promote someone or something.
Maya is always banging the drum for renewable energy.
The senator beat the drum for the new education bill.
bang — noun
1. a short, powerful sound, like a door slamming or something exploding.
a short, powerful sound, like a door slamming or something exploding.
A loud bang came from the garage during the storm.
a bang came from + place
We heard a bang, then the kitchen lights went out.
hear a bang
One sharp bang woke the baby before dawn.
There was a bang outside as the metal gate hit stone.
there was a bang
- loud bang
- sharp bang
- hear a bang
- bang came from
Grammar Patterns
hear a bang
a bang came from + place
there was a bang
Usage Note
Often appears with verbs like 'hear' and 'come from', or in the pattern 'there was a bang'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is the hit itself rather than the sound it makes.
Common Mistakes
2. one hard hit on a person or thing.
one hard hit on a person or thing.
The falling branch gave Noah a bang on the head.
a bang on + body part
Grandpa gave the table a bang to free the stuck drawer.
give + noun + a bang
A bang on the freezer door knocked the ice loose.
With one bang of the hammer, the sign fell down.
a bang of + noun
- give it a bang
- a bang on the wall
- a bang on the head
- a bang of the hammer
Grammar Patterns
give + noun + a bang
a bang on + noun
a bang of + noun
Usage Note
Common in patterns such as 'give something a bang' and 'a bang on the head/wall/table'. Distinguish from sense 1: if you mean the noise you heard, use the sound sense instead.
Common Mistakes
bang — exclamation
1. a written word used to represent the sharp sound of a gun, bomb, balloon, or sla
a written word used to represent the sharp sound of a gun, bomb, balloon, or slamming door.
Bang! The balloon burst over Mia's head during the game.
Bang! before the event
Bang! went the front door when the wind caught it.
Bang! went + noun
In the comic strip, Bang! fills the sky above the train.
The play ended with Bang! and smoke across the stage.
- Bang! went
- Bang! crash!
Grammar Patterns
Bang! + clause
Bang! went + noun
Usage Note
Mainly used in writing, comics, captions, and storytelling. It usually stands alone or comes before a clause to copy the sound itself.
Common Mistakes
2. used after a subject, especially with 'go', to show that something suddenly make
used after a subject, especially with 'go', to show that something suddenly makes that noise.
The old heater went bang just before lunch.
subject + went bang
One bike tire went bang on the hot road.
Then the radio went bang after the screen went black.
At midnight, a pipe went bang behind the bathroom wall.
- went bang
- go bang
Grammar Patterns
subject + go/went bang
Usage Note
Usually follows 'go' or 'went'. Distinguish from sense 1: there 'Bang!' stands by itself as the sound effect, while here it is part of a clause about something making the noise.
Common Mistakes
bang — adverb
1. right in the stated place or at the exact point being talked about.
right in the stated place or at the exact point being talked about.
The photo frame hung bang in the middle of the wall.
bang in the middle
Our bus stopped bang outside the school gate.
bang + outside + place
The arrow landed bang on the red circle.
bang on + target
Jake sat bang opposite me during the interview.
- bang in the middle
- bang outside
- bang opposite
- bang on target
Grammar Patterns
bang + in the middle
bang + on + noun
bang + opposite/outside
Usage Note
Usually comes before a place expression such as 'in the middle', 'outside', 'opposite', or 'on'. It adds emphasis and is more conversational than plain 'exactly' or 'right'.
Common Mistakes
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
For loud impact noises, these words overlap but point to different pictures. 'Bang' is the broad everyday choice for one hard sharp noise or for making something produce it: a door bangs, pipes bang, someone bangs a pan down. 'Slam' is narrower and is especially natural for doors, lids, and other things closing hard. 'Crash' usually suggests a bigger, more destructive event, often with things breaking or falling. 'Clatter' is different again: it points to repeated hard sounds from light objects such as dishes, tools, or wheels. So a student might bang a locker shut, a truck might crash into a wall, and plates might clatter across the kitchen floor.
Common collocations
Etymology
'Bang' began in English as an imitative word for a short heavy noise, like the sound of a blow, a shot, or a door slamming. Because it started as a sound word, English later used it not only for the noise itself, but also for the action that causes the noise, for a hard hit, and for fixed expressions such as 'go bang'.