drubbing

American  

[druhb-ing] / ˈdrʌb ɪŋ /

noun

1. a beating; a sound thrashing.

2. a decisive, humiliating defeat, as in a game or contest.

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drubbing British  

/ ˈdrʌbɪŋ /

noun

1. a beating, as with a stick, cudgel, etc

2. a comprehensive or heavy defeat, esp in a sporting competition

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Etymology

Origin of drubbing

First recorded in 1640–50; drub + -ing ¹

Explanation

A drubbing in sports is a defeat, especially by a wide margin. Your team's 100-point loss in the dodgeball tournament could be called a drubbing. Ouch. When one team soundly beats another, that's a drubbing. You can also use this word for a more literal kind of beating, actually physically striking someone: "My brother threatened to give that bully a drubbing if he keeps teasing me." The word comes from the verb drub, "to beat," probably from the Arabic root daraba, "he beat up."

Example Sentences

Grant did not avoid responsibility for the drubbing he’d just taken.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

The defending NBA champions are 3-0 against the Lakers this season, including a 43-point drubbing last week.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Broadcom’s stock rose in after-hours trading Wednesday following its fiscal first-quarter report, but that comes on the heels of a drubbing the shares have taken of late.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

After a famous win in their debut Super League fixture, York were brought back down to earth with a 46-14 drubbing by Leeds last weekend.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

“Bit of a drubbing, if I’m being honest.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• beating
• rout
• thrashing
• trouncing
• whipping