Dictionary

sledgehammer en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmɚ/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Compound of sledge + hammer.

Meanings

1. Completely lacking grace and dexterity.
   • Promising new treatments avoid the sledgehammer approach of traditional chemotherapy in two key ways." 2015 October 26, Michael Boyer, “Brave new world of cancer treatment revealed”, in The University of Sydney, archived from the original on 02 Apr 2023:

Forms

Relateds

shotgun approach

sledgehammer en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmɚ/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Compound of sledge + hammer.

Meanings

1. A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swung powerfully, and to distribute force over a wide area upon impact.
   • They take sledgehammers to statues with an uncommon gusto – destroying in seconds what may have survived centuries. 2015 February 26, Ben Wedeman, Dana Ford, “Video shows ISIS militants destroying antiquities in Iraq”, in CNN, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2023:
   • These were succeeded by anchor and chain-cable forges, where sledgehammers were dinging upon iron all day long. 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:

Forms

Coordinates

maul · mallet

Deriveds

use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

Relateds

hammer · forehammer

Translations (91)

mt mazza (kind of hammer) · ko 큰해머 (kind of hammer) · cmn 大錘 /大锤 (kind of hammer) · es almádena (kind of hammer) · tr balyoz (kind of hammer) · nl voorhamer (kind of hammer) · ru кува́лда (kind of hammer) · ota پتك (kind of hammer) · crh toqmaq (kind of hammer) · ar إِرْزَبَّة (kind of hammer) · cs perlík (kind of hammer) · gl mandarria (kind of hammer) · mk токмак (kind of hammer) · ru балда́ (kind of hammer) · ky барскан (kind of hammer) · sq vare (kind of hammer) · nl beukhamer (kind of hammer) · fr marteau (kind of hammer) · sk perlík (kind of hammer) · ko 슬레지해머 (kind of hammer) · pl młot kowalski (kind of hammer) · gl mallo (kind of hammer) · lo ຄ້ອນທະເນີນ (kind of hammer) · sv slägga (kind of hammer) · gl marra (kind of hammer) · pl młot oburęczny (kind of hammer) · el βαριά (kind of hammer) · la marcus (kind of hammer) · ja 大ハンマー (kind of hammer) · crh şoqmar (kind of hammer) · tg босқон (kind of hammer) · ka ურო (kind of hammer) · es mandarria (kind of hammer) · cy gordd (kind of hammer) · uk кува́лда (kind of hammer) · vi búa tạ (kind of hammer) · da forhammer (kind of hammer) · sh tòkmak (kind of hammer) · id godam (kind of hammer) · et suurvasar (kind of hammer) · sl macola (kind of hammer) · nv bee atsidítsoh (kind of hammer) · ota واریوس (kind of hammer) · pdt Schläaja (kind of hammer) · kk зілбалға (kind of hammer) · lv veseris (kind of hammer) · it martello da fabbro (kind of hammer) · id palu godam (kind of hammer) · ms tukul besi (kind of hammer) · km ញញួរដំដែក (kind of hammer) · lt kūjis (kind of hammer) · sh то̀кмак (kind of hammer) · rif azduz (kind of hammer) · az gürz (kind of hammer) · bg кова́шки чук (kind of hammer) · fr marteau de forgeron (kind of hammer) · ar مِرْزَبَّة (kind of hammer) · hy կռան (kind of hammer) · de Vorschlaghammer (kind of hammer) · bg вари́я (kind of hammer) · yi שמידהאַמער (kind of hammer) · az kumpul (kind of hammer) · nn slegge (kind of hammer) · ja 大型ハンマー (kind of hammer) · io martelego (kind of hammer) · be кува́лда (kind of hammer) · nn sleggje (kind of hammer) · pt marreta (kind of hammer) · he קוּרְנָס \ קֻרְנָס (kind of hammer) · uz bosqon (kind of hammer) · hi लोहार का हथौड़ा (kind of hammer) · fa پتک (kind of hammer) · so hadhso (kind of hammer) · ur مارْتَول (kind of hammer) · ja スレッジハンマー (kind of hammer) · et sepavasar (kind of hammer) · fr masse (kind of hammer) · mn лантуу (kind of hammer) · tr madırga (kind of hammer) · fi moukari (kind of hammer) · nrf marté à deux mains (kind of hammer) · ko 오함마 (kind of hammer) · ca picassa (kind of hammer) · th ค้อนปอนด์ (kind of hammer) · it mazza (kind of hammer) · nb slegge (kind of hammer) · fi leka (kind of hammer) · my တူမ (kind of hammer) · mg fampohaza (kind of hammer) · ro baros (kind of hammer) · es comba (kind of hammer)

sledgehammer en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmɚ/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Compound of sledge + hammer.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To strike (something) with a sledgehammer.
   • Some lawmakers were so incensed that they even invited the news media to watch the sledgehammering of the Japanese company's products on the Capitol's steps. 1989 December 10, Clyde H. Farnsworth, “Japan's Loud Voice in Washington”, in The New York Times:
   • She’s trying to piece together shards of precious pottery gleefully sledgehammered by a delegation led by the Taliban’s minister of culture, who deemed the world’s greatest collection of Central Asian artifacts un-Islamic. 2009 February 22, Jane And Michael Stern, “Nirvana Express”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022:

Forms