mosh

American  

[mosh] / mɒʃ /

verb (used without object)

Slang.

1. to engage in a form of frenzied, violent dancing; slam-dance.

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mosh British  

/ mɒʃ /

noun

1. a type of dance, performed to loud rock music, in which people throw themselves about in a frantic and violent manner

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verb

1. (intr) to dance in this manner

Etymology

Origin of mosh

1980–85; perhaps variant of mash ¹

Explanation

To mosh is to dance in a wild, almost violent way. Fans of music like hardcore punk and thrash metal often mosh at live shows. Concert-goers first began to mosh in the early 1980s while listening to bands play loud, aggressive hardcore and punk music. A "mosh pit" is the area near the stage where fans dance crazily. It became more common to mosh when grunge gained popularity in the late 80s. This verb was first spelled mash, but pronounced mosh — probably thanks to the lead singer of the band Bad Brains, who encouraged crowds to "mash it up" in his Jamaican accent.

Example Sentences

To justify that rock-star multiple, Starbucks must show it can do more than rebound from several years of morning mosh pits and barren cafes with disappearing furniture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

The crowd's energy for some of Lamar's earliest songs was electric, with mosh pits erupting throughout the standing areas for Backstreet Freestyle and family ties.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2025

People attending the festival, headlined by Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn, are being asked to put their devices into airplane mode before entering mosh pits.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2025

The frontman opened up about reuniting with longtime collaborator Paul Barker, the band’s final album, his disdain for violent mosh pits, and why he never read his autobiography.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2025

“Don’t you kids get too crazy. Bad injuries at the last Yo-Yo Ma mosh pit,” Mom called as we walked down the lawn.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman