😱 To shock deeply 🪓 A heavy weapon 💥 To knock down

to poleaxe

9.9

To knock someone to the ground as if hit by a heavy weapon

verb
/ˈpoʊlˌæks/

Archaic

: derribar

The knight poleaxed his opponent in a single blow.

Examples

The boxer was poleaxed by a powerful right hook.
Don't poleaxe your friends during the game!
She felt as though she had been poleaxed by the shocking announcement.
The news of his dismissal poleaxed him into silence.
The unexpected news poleaxed him, leaving him in a state of disbelief.
During the brawl, one fighter poleaxed his opponent with a single punch.
The sudden change in plans poleaxed the team, causing confusion and delay.

Synonyms

to strike

vsto poleaxe

508 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

is narrower, stressing a decisive heavy weapon style fall rather than general hitting

to knock down

vsto poleaxe

167 3.0

Use force to make someone or something fall to the ground

is more about a heavy weapon style blow that overwhelms and fells

to slug

vsto poleaxe

Informal

25 4.6

To hit someone or something very hard, often with the fist

focuses more on a heavy weapon style blow rather than a closed hand strike

to floor

vsto poleaxe

21 4.8

To knock someone to the ground with force

focuses on heavy weapon style impact rather than only a forceful fall

to club

vsto poleaxe

20 5.1

To hit someone or something hard with a heavy stick

portrays the same severe hit but with added heavy weapon overtones

to deck

vsto poleaxe

Informal

18 8.2

To hit someone so hard that they fall to the ground

is tied to heavy weapon imagery and decisive felling rather than a mere punch

to strike hard

vsto poleaxe

10 3.7

Hit someone or something very hard

focuses on causing a fall and evokes heavy weapon style overwhelming force

to wallop

vsto poleaxe

Informal

6 7.3

To hit something or someone very hard

conveys the same force but emphasizes heavy weapon style felling

to whop

vsto poleaxe

Informal

4 7.9

To hit someone or something very hard

is similar but adds heavy weapon imagery that implies felling the target

to whomp

vsto poleaxe

Informal

2 8.6

To hit forcefully with the hand or a flat object

is more about a heavy weapon style blow that brings someone down

to sledgehammer

vsto poleaxe

1 7.2

To hit something very hard with a large heavy tool with a long handle

evokes the same heavy weapon idea but stresses decisive felling effect

to poleax

vsto poleaxe

Archaic

1 9.9

To hit someone hard so they fall or to overwhelm them suddenly

is the same meaning but uses an alternate spelling form

to cudgel

vsto poleaxe

1 9.4

To hit someone with a short thick stick

is more about felling someone as if struck by a large heavy weapon

to swack

vsto poleaxe

Archaic

1 9.9

To hit someone or something hard

is more tied to heavy weapon imagery and decisive felling rather than mere contact

to smackdown

vsto poleaxe

Informal

1 8.6

To hit someone hard so they fall down

is more linked to heavy weapon imagery and decisive overwhelming force

to sledge

vsto poleaxe

1 7.9

To hit something hard with a heavy hammer that has a long handle

is about making someone fall as if struck by a very heavy weapon

How Forceful

to poleaxe

Archaic

9.9

to fell

28 3.3

to knock down

167 3.0

to strike

508 2.4

to hit

∞ 1.0

tap

57 1.0

Surface Forms

poleaxe infinitive

poleaxed past

poleaxed past participle

poleaxing present participle

poleaxes third person singular

Etymology

Poleaxe as a verb means to knock someone to the ground as if hit by a heavy weapon. It comes from the weapon poleaxe, because a blow from that long, heavy axe would throw you down, so to be 'poleaxed' is to be knocked down suddenly.