lash
a single eyelash or eyelashes
A small hair on the edge of your eyelid; usually talked about as many together around the eye.
[someone]'s lashes
- She has incredibly long lashes that almost touch her glasses.
- He brushed the sand from his lashes and looked up.
- The mascara made her lashes look much thicker.
- Tears clung to his lower lashes.
- She got lash extensions before the wedding.
- Her lashes are very long.
- The dust hurt my eyes and stuck to my lashes.
- She puts mascara on her lashes every morning.
to whip or strike hard
To hit someone or something very hard with something like a whip or rope; or for wind, rain, or the sea to hit something very strongly.
to lash [someone/something] (with [something])
- The guard lashed the prisoners with a leather strap.
- Huge waves lashed the seawall during the storm.
- Rain lashed against the windows all night long.
- The rider cruelly lashed his horse to make it go faster.
- Branches lashed his face as he ran through the forest.
- The storm lashed the small boat.
- The man lashed the horse with a whip.
- Rain lashed the city for many hours.
to attack harshly with words
To speak very angrily about someone or something and say strong, negative things about them.
to lash [someone/something] (for [something])
- The mayor lashed critics who questioned her handling of the crisis.
- Parents have lashed the school board for cutting music programs.
- He lashed his teammates for what he called a lack of effort.
- Environmental groups lashed the company over the oil spill.
- Commentators lashed the decision as short‑sighted and dangerous.
- Many people lashed the plan as unfair.
- She lashed the company for not paying workers well.
- Fans lashed the coach after the team lost again.
to tie something firmly with rope
To tie something tightly with rope or cord so that it does not move.
to lash [something] (to/together/down)
- They lashed the kayaks to the roof of the car.
- The sailors hurried to lash the sails down before the storm hit.
- He lashed the boxes together to make them easier to carry.
- We lashed the tent to a tree so it wouldn’t blow away.
- The ladder was loosely lashed to the pole and looked unsafe.
- We lashed the boat to the pier.
- He lashed the bags to the top of the car.
- They lashed the chairs together with a rope.
whip used for punishment or control
A long, thin tool like a rope or strap that is used to hit people or animals, often as a punishment.
the lash
- Slaves were forced to work under the lash.
- The crack of the lash echoed through the yard.
- He still carried scars from the lash on his back.
- The regime kept order with the lash and the gun.
- They were threatened with the lash if they disobeyed.
- The guard held a long lash in his hand.
- The man was beaten with the lash.
- People lived in fear of the lash.
a stroke or blow with a whip
One hit with a whip or something like a whip.
a lash of [the] whip
- The prisoner was sentenced to twenty lashes.
- Each lash of the whip cut deeper into his skin.
- He cried out at the first lash but stayed silent for the rest.
- With one final lash, the punishment was over.
- They watched in horror as the lashes were counted aloud.
- The man got ten lashes as a punishment.
- Each lash from the whip hurt a lot.
- After the last lash, the guard walked away.
to move violently back and forth
To move quickly and strongly from side to side, often describing an animal’s tail or something long and thin.
[something] lashes (back and forth/from side to side)
- The cat’s tail lashed back and forth as it watched the birds.
- Palm trees lashed wildly in the hurricane winds.
- Rain‑soaked branches lashed against the side of the house.
- The dragon’s tail lashed the air in fury.
- Waves lashed back and forth across the deck.
- The dog’s tail lashed from side to side.
- In the storm, the trees lashed in the strong wind.
- The angry cat sat with its tail lashing behind it.
- Base: lash
- Plural: lashes
- Base: lash
- 3rd Person Singular: lashes
- Present Participle: lashing
- Past: lashed
lash down
1rain very heavily with wind
To rain very hard, usually with strong wind so that the rain seems to hit the ground or buildings violently.
- Rain lashed down all night, flooding several streets.
- The crew lashed down the cargo before the storm arrived.
- As the storm lashed down, they stayed inside the house.
- Make sure you lash the tent down or it might fly away.
lash into
1attack someone strongly with words
To speak to someone in a very angry way and say many strong, negative things about them.
- The coach lashed into the team after their poor performance.
- Commentators lashed into the minister for breaking his promise.
lash out
1suddenly attack or react angrily
To suddenly hit someone or shout at someone because you are very angry or upset.
- He tends to lash out when he feels criticized.
- Frustrated by the delay, several passengers lashed out at the airline staff.
- The child suddenly lashed out and kicked the wall.
lash out on
1spend a lot of money on something
To spend a lot of money on something, especially something special that you do not really need.
- She lashed out on a new laptop even though her old one still worked.
- They decided to lash out on a luxury hotel for their anniversary.
lash together
1tie several things together with rope
To tie a few things together strongly with rope or cord so that they act as one piece.
- They lashed the logs together to make a simple raft.
- We lashed a few poles together to build a quick shelter.