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Added 9 October 2026

bang

/ˈbæŋ/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bang at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A sudden percussive noise.
When he struck it with a hammer, there was a loud bang.
A heavy strike upon an object causing such a noise.
I gave the door a bang and it swung open.
An explosion.
When he pushed the detonator, the bang blew him off his feet.

verb

To make sudden loud noises, often repeatedly, especially by exploding or hitting something.
The fireworks banged away all through the night.
To hit (something) hard, making a loud noise.
She banged the table with her fist.
To cause or suffer (one thing) to hit (another).
The blacksmith banged the hammer on the anvil.

adverb

Right, directly.
The passenger door was bang against the garage wall.
Precisely, exactly, completely.
He arrived bang on time.
With a sudden impact.
Distracted, he ran bang into the opening door.

interjection

A sudden percussive sound, such as made by the firing of a gun, slamming of a door, etc.
He pointed his finger at her like a gun and said, “Bang!”

Origin

From Middle English *bangen, from Old English *bangian or borrowed from Old Norse banga (“to pound, hammer”); both from Proto-Germanic *bangōną (“to beat, pound”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰen- (“to beat, hit, injure”). Cognate with Scots bang, bung (“to strike, bang, hurl, thrash, offend”), Icelandic banga (“to pound, hammer”), Old Swedish bånga ("to hammer"; whence modern Swedish banka (“to knock, pound, bang”)), Danish banke (“to beat”), bengel (“club”), Low German bangen, bangeln (“to strike, beat”), West Frisian bingel, bongel, Dutch bengel (“bell; rascal”), German Bengel (“club”), bungen (“to throb, pulsate”). In the sense of a fringe of hair, from bang off.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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