noun · 4 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpʌnt͡ʃɪŋ ˌbæɡ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈpʌnt͡ʃɪŋ ˌbæɡ/
General-American:[ˈpən(t)ʃɪŋ-]
1
noun
Meaning 1
A tough bag, usually cylindrical, filled with air, sand, or other material, often suspended so that it swings freely, which is punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: punchbag
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: speed bag
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person serving as an object of abuse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: punchbag
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an inflated ball or bag that is suspended and punched for training in boxing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: punch bag, punching ball, punchball
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ball
4
noun
Meaning 4
a person on whom another person vents their anger
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he resigned because his boss used him as a punching bag
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: victim
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كيس ملاكمة
(kis mulakima)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Armenian:
տանձիկ
(tanjik)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Basque:
boxeo zakua
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Belarusian:
баксёрская груша
(baksjórskaja hruša)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Bulgarian:
боксов чувал
(boksov čuval)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Bulgarian:
боксова круша
(boksova kruša)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Catalan:
sac de boxa
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Chinese Cantonese:
沙包
(saa1 baau1)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Chinese Mandarin:
吊袋
(diàodài)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Chinese Mandarin:
拳擊沙袋 /拳击沙袋
(quánjī shādài)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Chinese Mandarin:
沙包
(shābāo)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Czech:
boxovací pytel
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Danish:
boksesæk
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Dutch:
bokszak
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Finnish:
nyrkkeilysäkki
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
French:
punching-ball
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
French:
sac de boxe
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
French:
sac de frappe
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Georgian:
გრუშა
(gruša)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
German:
Boxsack
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
German:
Sandsack
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Greek:
σάκος πυγμαχίας
(sákos pygmachías)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Ancient Greek:
κώρυκος
(kṓrukos)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Hebrew:
שַׂק חֲבָטוֹת
(saq ḥavatót)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Hebrew:
שַׂק אִגְרוּף
(saq igrúf)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Hungarian:
bokszzsák
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Indonesian:
samsak
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Italian:
sacco da boxe
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Japanese:
サンドバッグ
(sandobaggu)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Korean:
샌드백
(saendeubaek)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Latin:
cōrycus
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Norwegian:
boksesekk
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Pashto:
سوک وهونکی
(sook wahowneke)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Persian:
کیسه بوکس
(kes buks)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Polish:
worek do bicia
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Polish:
worek treningowy
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Portuguese:
saco de boxe
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Portuguese:
saco de pancada
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Romanian:
sac de box
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Russian:
боксёрская гру́ша
(boksjórskaja grúša)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Russian:
боксёрский мешо́к
(boksjórskij mešók)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Serbo-Croatian:
боксерски џак
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Serbo-Croatian:
боксерски врећа
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Serbo-Croatian:
врећа за ударање
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Serbo-Croatian:
bokserski džak
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Serbo-Croatian:
bokserski vreća
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Serbo-Croatian:
vreća za udaranje
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Slovak:
boxovacie vrece
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Slovene:
boks vreča
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Spanish:
saco de boxeo
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Swedish:
boxningssäck
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Swedish:
sandsäck
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Turkish:
boks torbası
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Turkish:
kum torbası
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Ukrainian:
боксерська груша
(boksersʹka hruša)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Urdu:
چھدرن بیگ
(chidrin beyk)
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Vietnamese:
bao cát
— tough bag punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts
Bulgarian:
боксова круша
(boksova kruša)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Catalan:
sac de boxa
— person serving as an object of abuse
Chinese Cantonese:
出氣筒 /出气筒
(ceot1 hei3 tung2)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Chinese Cantonese:
沙包
(saa1 baau1)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Chinese Mandarin:
出氣筒 /出气筒
(chūqìtǒng)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Chinese Mandarin:
小媳婦 /小媳妇
(xiǎoxífù, xiǎoxífer)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Finnish:
heittopussi
— person serving as an object of abuse
French:
souffre-douleur
— person serving as an object of abuse
French:
tête de turc
— person serving as an object of abuse
German:
Zielscheibe
— person serving as an object of abuse
German:
Prügelknabe
— person serving as an object of abuse
Indonesian:
samsak
— person serving as an object of abuse
Polish:
chłopiec do bicia
— person serving as an object of abuse
Portuguese:
saco de pancada
— person serving as an object of abuse
Russian:
гру́ша
(grúša)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Russian:
ма́льчик для битья́
(málʹčik dlja bitʹjá)
— person serving as an object of abuse
Spanish:
saco de boxeo
— person serving as an object of abuse
Swedish:
slagpåse
— person serving as an object of abuse
