Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to bang away

to bang away

3 6.7
To hit something again and again with force, for example when playing an instrument
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : tocar con energía
  • You see something happening, and you bang away at it.
  • banging away at the keyboard
  • just bang away
  • keep banging away

Not sexual at all, just just a grinder who keeps banging away.

Examples

  • We'd likely be banging away at one another.

    The Lodger (1944)

  • Plus the Huey crew is still banging away.

    Courage Under Fire (1996)

  • One of the mothers banged away at the piano.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • And no doubt they'll be banging away throughout the night.

    A Passage to India (1984)

  • But this guy just banged and banged away without ever talking to us.

    Blog text (6)

  • All twelve B-system cameras begin banging away like cannons.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Mandoma gets PK against the ropes and bangs away.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Men are tearing up the asphalt; they're in pits banging away with pneumatic drills.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He sat down and started to bang away on the piano, lost in his music.

  • After a long day, she would often bang away at her computer, finishing her work late into the night.

Synonyms

to bang
vsto bang away
318 1.0

To hit or close something suddenly and loudly

focuses more on ongoing energetic work or repeated musical action
to belt out
vsto bang away
  • Informal
9 3.7

To sing or play music loudly with a lot of energy

includes loud musical energy but also persistent noisy physical effort
to bump
vsto bang away
  • Slang
7 8.7

To play music loudly so people can hear

is more general, applying to noisy forceful action or steady work
to beat out
vsto bang away
2 3.6

Make a rhythm by hitting something repeatedly, like a drum

adds meaning of sustained energetic effort beyond just making rhythm
to kick out the jams
vsto bang away
  • Slang
1 9.3

Play loud, energetic music to make people excited

is similar but not limited to energizing others or live atmosphere
to bang out
vsto bang away
  • Informal
1 7.8

To play music loudly and simply on an instrument

is broader, meaning forceful energetic action or persistent noisy work
to thump out
vsto bang away
1 7.0

To play a strong, repeated beat by hitting an instrument like a drum

includes that forceful playing but also general persistent work actions
to pound a beat
vsto bang away
  • Informal
1 7.7

Play a loud, strong rhythm on a drum or instrument

is similar but also covers persistent, nonmusical forceful effort
to overbeat
vsto bang away
8.1

Hit a drum or rhythm too hard so the sound is too loud

is like this but can be vigorous without being excessively forceful

Antonyms

to hang up one's fiddle
  • Archaic
9.6

To stop doing an activity, especially to stop playing music for good

How Energetic

to pound
225 1.3
to hammer away at
  • Informal
5 4.8
to bang away
  • Informal
3 6.7
to play
∞ 1.0
to tinkle
15 3.9

Surface Forms

bang away infinitive
banged away past
banged away past participle
bangging away present participle
bangs away third person singular

Morphology

bang + away

The sense is directly built from 'bang' (to strike or make a loud noise) plus 'away' (indicating continued or repeated action), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer ‘to strike/play repeatedly or work persistently’ (e.g., play drums energetically or keep working at something). Although it can be used metaphorically (e.g., 'bang away at a problem'), the metaphorical extension remains predictable from the literal components and the particle+verb compositional pattern.

Etymology

The phrasal verb bang away comes from a simple picture: bang means to hit and away means again and again, like someone banging away on a piano or a table. So to bang away at an instrument or a task means to play or work loudly and with repeated, strong effort.