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flog

verb

Simple meaning

To whip or scourge as punishment.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

flahg
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈflɑɡ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To whip or scourge as punishment.

  2. transitive

    To use something to extreme; to abuse.

  3. transitiveukslang

    To sell.

  4. transitiveAustraliaNew Zealand

    To defeat easily or convincingly.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Frequency
Rare

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To whip or scourge as punishment.

Used this way, flog is a reasonably familiar word with a faintly unfavourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Slightly negative
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Critical or judgemental
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • lash

    To strike with a lash.

  • whip

    To hit with a whip.

  • lather

    To beat or whip.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • floggingnounInflected form

    Beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to whip or scourge as punishment

lash

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.