Skip to main content
to cosh

to cosh

9.9
To hit someone with a short heavy stick, often on the head
  • verb
  • /kɒʃ/
  • NSFW
translation icon : golpear
  • He knew he had to defend himself or risk getting coshed by the assailants.

Examples

  • To intimidate him, they planned to cosh him in a dark alley so no one would see.

  • But but a punch in the face, a punching of ribs, hit him with a cosh, hit him with a walkie-talkie.

  • I thought she was drunk, but it turned out she had been coshed.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • So, all we know... is that she was coshed on the head... dumped into the Thames... and subsequently dumped into our laps.

  • The thief was caught off guard when the gang leader suddenly coshed him over the head.

Synonyms

to whack
vsto cosh
250 5.5

To hit someone or something hard so it makes a loud sound

is similar but usually targets the head with a heavy blunt tool
to bash
vsto cosh
  • NSFW
73 2.9

To hit someone or something very hard

is more specific, naming a heavy weapon used mainly on the head
to brain
vsto cosh
  • NSFW
16 9.9

To hit someone hard on the head to seriously hurt them

is similar but typically uses a heavy handheld blunt weapon
to bash in
vsto cosh
  • NSFW
13 7.5

Hit something hard so it breaks or opens

is similar but usually involves a heavy blunt weapon aimed at the head
to coldcock
vsto cosh
  • NSFW
4 9.9

To knock someone out with one sudden hard punch

targets the head too but usually uses a heavy blunt weapon
to conk
vsto cosh
  • Archaic
3 8.6

To hit someone on the head with force

focuses on hitting with a heavy blunt object rather than general force
to smash the head
vsto cosh
  • Offensive
8.8

Hit a person's head very hard and cause serious injury

shares head violence but stresses use of a handheld heavy weapon

How Forceful

to bludgeon
  • NSFW
23 8.8
to cosh
  • NSFW
9.9
to hit
1.0
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

cosh infinitive
coshed past
coshed past participle
coshing present participle
coshes third person singular

Etymology

Cosh as a verb comes from the noun cosh. To 'cosh' someone is to hit them with that hidden club, usually on the head, which is why the verb means to attack or strike someone with a heavy weapon.