WordVale

lash out

to attack suddenly

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to suddenly criticize someone angrily, often unfairly

2. (verb) to hit or strike out with a whip or rope

Examples

• 1. When she heard the bad news, she lashed out at her friends for no reason.
• 2. The cowboy lashed out with his whip at the fence post.

How to use lash out

Lash out typically means to criticize someone harshly and often unjustly when angry or upset, though it can also refer to physical striking. The verbal sense is more common in modern usage and often carries an implication that the criticism is excessive or misdirected, whereas similar terms like 'attack' may be more neutral. It frequently appears in emotional or confrontational contexts.

Common phrases

• lash out at someone
• lash out in anger
• lash out against something
• lash out with a whip
• verbally lash out

Synonyms

attack · snap at · turn on · hit out at · strike out

Opposites

praise · compliment

Word family

lashing · lashed

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use 'lash out' without a target (lashing out requires 'at' or 'against' plus an object), or confuse it with equally valid but distinct expressions like 'act out,' which refers to expressing emotions through behavior rather than words.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

hinge on, hold up, keep on, level off, live up to, map out

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained