sledgehammer

[ slej-ham-er ]

noun

1. a large heavy hammer wielded with both hands.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to hammer, beat, or strike with or as if with a sledgehammer.

adjective

1. crudely or ruthlessly forceful; lacking all dexterity or grace:

   the artist's sledgehammer approach.

sledgehammer

/ ˈslɛdʒˌhæmə /

noun

1. a large heavy hammer with a long handle used with both hands for heavy work such as forging iron, breaking rocks, etc
2. modifier resembling the action of a sledgehammer in power, ruthlessness, etc

   a sledgehammer blow

verb

1. tr to strike (something) with or as if with a sledgehammer

Word History and Origins

Origin of sledgehammer¹

First recorded in 1485–95; sledge ² + hammer

Word History and Origins

Origin of sledgehammer¹

C15 sledge, from Old English slecg a large hammer; related to Old Norse sleggja, Middle Dutch slegge

Example Sentences

The Sawyers became monsters due to abandonment and neglect; members of the family were employed at the local slaughterhouse until the bolt gun replaced the sledgehammer as the cattle-killing method of choice.

From Slate

The bulk of the bill was scrapped after several advocacy groups argued that it took a sledgehammer to victims’ rights and that there was little proof of an onslaught of sex abuse settlements.

From Los Angeles Times

“You always start with a feather,” she said, “until you get to the sledgehammer.”

From Slate

She said it sounded like someone was using a sledgehammer on her door and she feared "somebody was coming to kill us".

From BBC

He added: "Now that we know these regulatory T cells are present everywhere in the body, in principle we can start to make immune suppression and tissue regeneration treatments that are targeted against a single organ -- a vast improvement on current treatments that are like hitting the body with a sledgehammer."

From Science Daily