EN

Synonyms for lash

51 synonyms
8 antonyms
3 meanings

verb
noun

Most common

whip punish chastise castigate goad berate

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Whip

whip, flog, scourge, tie, strap, slash, castigate, bind, strike, punish, chastise, scold, stripe, beat, criticize UK US, criticise UK, fasten, stroke, welt, lambast UK, lamblast US, lather, maul, censure

2. Goad

goad, stir up, urge, incite, spur, drive, excite, quicken, stimulate, provoke, inflame, impel, prick, foment, stir, actuate, abet, rouse, motivate, induce

Other

Noun

1. Cilium

eye lash, cilium

Other

thong, whiplash, bash UK, backlash, play, lost motion

Antonyms

prudent, unlash, sober

All antonyms of lash →

Definitions

v. 1
To strike with a lash; to whip or scourge with a lash, or with something like one.
v. 2
To strike forcibly and quickly, as with a lash; to beat, or beat upon, with a motion like that of a lash.
Heavy seas lashed the shore.
n. 1
The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.

Related words

Word family: lashlike lasher
Phrases: lash down lash out on the lash lash curler lash up

Forms

Plural: lashes → cilia, thongs, whiplashes, bashes…
Past participle: lashed
e.g. lashed → whipped, flogged, scourged, tied…

Choose the right word

Lash, Slap or Cut?

A slap is given with the open hand, a lash with a whip, thong, or the like; we speak also of the cut of a whip.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

whip I'm sure you'll whip us up something really good.
punish People punish petty thieves but love big thieves.
chastise Be patient, God will chastise you and you'll understand!
castigate Don't castigate me. I haven't done anything wrong.
goad The shepherd carried a sharp goad for herding sheep.
berate If you berate me like that again, I will quit.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
lash		rising
whip		rising
punish		rising
chastise		rising
castigate		steady
goad		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: tie¹
4 letters: play¹, beat¹, urge¹, whip¹, stir¹, bind¹, bash¹, spur¹, welt¹, maul¹, flog¹, goad¹, abet²
5 letters: drive¹, strap¹, slash¹, prick¹, thong¹, rouse¹, scold¹, impel²
6 letters: strike¹, stroke¹, punish², induce², stripe¹, excite², incite², fasten², lather², foment², berate², cilium
7 letters: provoke², scourge¹, censure², quicken², inflame², actuate³, lambast
8 letters: backlash², motivate³, whiplash², chastise², lamblast
9 letters: stimulate³, criticize³, criticise, castigate³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (abet² = 2 syllables).