sledgehammer

n.
A long heavy hammer, often wielded with both hands, used for driving wedges and posts and for other heavy work.

tr.v., -mered, -mer·ing, -mers.
To strike with or as if with a sledgehammer.

adj.
Ruthlessly severe; crushing: sledgehammer prosecutorial tactics.

[Middle English slegge (from Old English slecg) + HAMMER.]

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a heavy long-handled hammer used to drive stakes or wedges
  Synonyms: maul, sledge

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The verb sledgehammer has one meaning:

Meaning #1: beat with a sledgehammer
  Synonym: sledge

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - forhammer
v. tr. - hamre, slå med en forhammer
adj. - som slået med en forhammer

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    skyde spurve med kanoner

Nederlands (Dutch)
voorhamer, moker

Français (French)
n. - marteau de forgeron, masse
v. tr. - frapper avec un marteau
adj. - cinglant, humiliant

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    écraser une mouche avec un gant de boxe

Deutsch (German)
n. - Vorschlaghammer
v. - kräftig hämmern
adj. - wuchtig, schonungslos

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    zu strenge Maßnahmen ergreifen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - βαριοπούλα, βαριά

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    (καθομ.) κάνω τα εύκολα δύσκολα

Italiano (Italian)
mazza, martello pneumatico

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    usare una mazza per ammazzare una mosca, esagerare, impiegare mezzi non appropriati

Português (Portuguese)
n. - martelo de forja (m), algo poderoso ou esmagador

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    fazer algo exageradamente

Русский (Russian)
кувалда, кузнечный молот, сокрушительный, мощный, беспощадный, бить кувалдой, наносить мощные удары

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    колоть орехи кузнечным молотом, стрелять из пушки по воробьям

Español (Spanish)
n. - almádena, martillo macho
v. tr. - martillar o golpear con un martillo macho
adj. - falto de gracia

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    exagerar una situación, reaccionar en forma desproporcionada

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - slägga

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
大锤, 猛烈的打击, 用大锤打, 猛力打, 强力的, 手下不留情的

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    大材小用, 杀鸡用牛刀

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大錘, 猛烈的打擊
v. tr. - 用大錘打, 猛力打
adj. - 強力的, 手下不留情的

idioms:

• use a sledgehammer to crack a nut    大材小用, 殺雞用牛刀

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 대형의 쇠망치, 결정타
v. tr. - 큰 헤머로 치다, 철퇴를 가하다, 큰 타격을 주다
adj. - 강력한, 가차 없는, 잔인한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 強力な, 容赦しない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مطرقه ثقيله‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קורנס, פטיש כבד‬
v. tr. - ‮היכה בקורנס‬
adj. - ‮כבד, חזק‬

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mtx sledgehammer