noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/ˈblʌd͡ʒ.ən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Northern-England:/ˈblʊd͡ʒ.ən/
rhymes with -ʌdʒən
CMU ARPABET:B L AH1 JH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A short, heavy club, often of wood, which is thicker or loaded at one end.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
We smashed the radio with a steel bludgeon.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To strike or hit with something hard, usually on the head; to club.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The apprehended rioter was bludgeoned to death.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To coerce someone, as if with a bludgeon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
Their favorite method was bludgeoning us with the same old arguments in favor of their opinions.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a club used as a weapon
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: club
Narrower terms: blackjack, cosh, sap
5
verb
Meaning 5
strike with a club or a bludgeon
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: club
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hit
6
verb
Meaning 6
overcome or coerce as if by using a heavy club
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The teacher bludgeoned the students into learning the math formulas
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: coerce, hale, squeeze, pressure, force
History
Etymology
First attested in 1730. Origin uncertain, perhaps of Cornish origin (recorded as blogon c. 1450) or from Middle French bougeon, a diminutive of bouge (“club, stick”).
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
هِرَاوَة
(hirāwa)
— short heavy club
Armenian:
մահակ
(mahak)
— short heavy club
Belarusian:
дручо́к
(dručók)
— short heavy club
Belarusian:
дубі́нка
(dubínka)
— short heavy club
Belarusian:
даўбе́шка
(dawbjéška)
— short heavy club
Bulgarian:
къса сопа
(kǎsa sopa)
— short heavy club
Chinese Mandarin:
棍棒
(gùnbàng)
— short heavy club
Czech:
obušek
— short heavy club
Dutch:
knuppel
— short heavy club
Finnish:
nuija
— short heavy club
French:
matraque
— short heavy club
Galician:
moca
— short heavy club
Galician:
cacheiro
— short heavy club
Galician:
acotante
— short heavy club
Galician:
pertego
— short heavy club
Georgian:
ლახტი
(laxṭi)
— short heavy club
German:
Knüppel
— short heavy club
Hungarian:
fütykös
— short heavy club
Hungarian:
husáng
— short heavy club
Hungarian:
furkósbot
— short heavy club
Hungarian:
bunkósbot
— short heavy club
Irish:
smachtín
— short heavy club
Italian:
mazza
— short heavy club
Japanese:
棍棒
(konbō)
— short heavy club
Kyrgyz:
таяк
(tayak)
— short heavy club
Kyrgyz:
союл
(soyul)
— short heavy club
Kyrgyz:
келтек
(keltek)
— short heavy club
Latgalian:
vāza
— short heavy club
Latgalian:
bulstaks
— short heavy club
Latvian:
runga
— short heavy club
Māori:
hauhau
— short heavy club
Māori:
timo
— short heavy club
Norwegian Bokmål:
klubbe
— short heavy club
Norwegian Nynorsk:
klubbe
— short heavy club
Polish:
pałka
— short heavy club
Polish:
maczuga
— short heavy club
Portuguese:
clava
— short heavy club
Russian:
дуби́нка
(dubínka)
— short heavy club
Russian:
па́лица
(pálica)
— short heavy club
Russian:
дуби́на
(dubína)
— short heavy club
Sanskrit:
गदा
(gadā)
— short heavy club
Slovak:
obušok
— short heavy club
Spanish:
cachiporra
— short heavy club
Spanish:
porra
— short heavy club
Spanish:
maza
— short heavy club
Spanish:
garrote
— short heavy club
Spanish:
clava
— short heavy club
Swedish:
klubba
— short heavy club
Turkish:
sopa
— short heavy club
Ukrainian:
дрючо́к
(drjučók)
— short heavy club
Ukrainian:
кийо́к
(kyjók)
— short heavy club
Ukrainian:
дубе́ць
(dubécʹ)
— short heavy club
Ukrainian:
па́лиця
(pálycja)
— short heavy club
Arabic:
يَهْرِي
(yahrī)
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Catalan:
bastonejar
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Catalan:
colpejar
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Catalan:
atupar
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Catalan:
garrotejar
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Catalan:
apallissar
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Chinese Mandarin:
棍打
(gùn dǎ)
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Dutch:
neerknuppelen
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Finnish:
nuijia
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
French:
matraquer
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
German:
niederknüppeln
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
German:
knüppeln
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Japanese:
殴る
(naguru)
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Kyrgyz:
таякта
(tayakta)
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Kyrgyz:
келтекте
(keltekte)
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Norwegian Bokmål:
klubbe
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Norwegian Bokmål:
klubbe ned
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Norwegian Nynorsk:
klubbe
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Polish:
uderzać pałką
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Polish:
uderzyć pałką
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Spanish:
aporrear
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Swedish:
klubba
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
Swedish:
klubba till
— to club, hit with a bludgeon
