verb

lynch

lihnch

verb

To kill someone, typically by hanging, at the hands of a mob acting outside the law.

"The historical record of Black Americans lynched in the American South remains a dark chapter of history."

By extension, to criticise or attack someone severely and unfairly, especially as a group.

"The online mob was ready to lynch him over a single bad tweet."

How to Use Lynch

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo kill someone through mob violence without a trial, or (loosely) to attack someone unfairly and harshly in a group.

When to use it

The literal sense refers to a specific and horrific form of racial violence in American history; use with care and awareness of that context.

Word Forms

lynched past tense, Lynchs plural, Lynches plural, lynches singular

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The historical record of Black Americans _____ in the American South remains a dark chapter of history.

Etymology

Believed to come from "Lynch law", a term for extrajudicial punishment first recorded in the early 1800s in the United States, possibly linked to the surname Lynch.

Rhymes for lynch

inch bench conch lunch punch wench finch cinch pinch bunch winch munch

See all rhymes for lynch →