hammer and tongs
Use Hammer and tongs in a sentencehammer and tongs
noun
with great vigor, determination, or vehemence: When he starts a job he goes at it hammer and tongs.
Origin:
1700–10
1700–10
Synonyms
hard, energetically, fiercely, wholeheartedly.
hard, energetically, fiercely, wholeheartedly.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To hammer and tongs
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
hammer and tongs
Forcefully, with great vigor. For example, She went at the weeds hammer and tongs, determined to clean out the long neglected flowerbed. Often put as go at it hammer and tongs, this phrase alludes to the blacksmith's tools. [c. 1700]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
00:10
Hammer and tongs
is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Example sentences
The crazy fellow was much of an athlete and went at it hammer and tongs.
Matching Quote
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
