What does slammed mean?
Slammed is the past tense and past participle of slam, a verb describing a sudden, forceful action. A person can slam a door, slam on the brakes, or slam into another vehicle or object. These uses emphasize abruptness and force: the action is completed quickly and often noisily. The word also has figurative senses, including decisively defeating an opponent, criticizing something harshly, or placing someone or something somewhere with abrupt force. As an adjective, slammed usually follows the noun, as in “a slammed door,” “the slammed brakes,” or “slammed into traffic.” It is common in everyday speech, sport, journalism, and criticism. Although it can describe deliberate forcefulness, it does not necessarily imply anger; it primarily conveys suddenness, intensity, and impact.
To shut, move, place, or strike something forcefully and abruptly; also to defeat decisively or criticize harshly.
"The defender slammed the ball into the net."
The verb is used figuratively in sport and journalism, as in “slam the brakes,” “slam an opponent,” and “slam a film.”
Describing something that is forcefully shut, struck, or moved, as in “a slammed door” or “a slammed car.”
"The storm left the car slammed against a concrete barrier."
This participial adjective is especially common in phrases expressing sudden forceful movement or closure.
A slammed door announces a person’s arrival before they have said a word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does slammed come from?
The word entered English in the nineteenth century, probably through influence from Norwegian, which has slam, meaning a heavy blow or bang, and slamma, meaning to slam. The original English senses concerned forceful striking and closing, while later figurative uses developed for defeat, criticism, and forceful movement. The form slammed is formed by adding the regular past-tense and past-participle ending -ed.
Related word forms
How slammed is actually used
The verb is neutral in register and commonly describes forceful movement, impact, or closure. The adjective is especially frequent in phrases such as “slammed shut” and “slammed into.” Figurative senses, such as severe criticism or decisive defeat, are common in informal and journalistic English.