clobber

/ˈklɒb.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈklɒb.ə(ɹ)// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"clobber" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clobber” is uncommon English (frequency #68,099 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,099
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To hit or bash severely; to seriously harm or damage.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clobber · clobber · English

clobber · rank #68,099 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,099
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH clothier

Nearest frequency peer: clothier (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “clobber”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “clobber” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for clobber
PropertyValue
Headwordclobber
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈklɒb.ə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#68,099
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “clobber” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).clobberfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “clothier” (#68,100), “Claridge” (#68,097), “codeword” (#68,105). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clobber” is #68,099. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

clobber is uncommon English at frequency #68,099 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈklɒb.ə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

clobber doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: British slang from 1941; possibly onomatopoeic of the sound of detonated bombs in the distance. The correct English form is clobber, spelled C-L-O-B-B-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To hit or bash severely; to seriously harm or damage.
  2. 2
    To overwrite (data) or override (an assignment of a value), often unintentionally or unexpectedly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how clobber appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. So the temptation to clobber was always there, and it was sometimes more difficult not to strike than it would have been to strike, and the consequences be damned.
  2. 2000 November 30, Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard), page 3034, Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the East African Standard newspaper we saw a picture of a man being carried away after being clobbered. We also saw women being clobbered by well-built policemen using big clubs. They were clobbering women who had already fallen on the ground.

Etymology

British slang from 1941; possibly onomatopoeic of the sound of detonated bombs in the distance.

This word in other languages

zurrar(Español)tabassage(Français)dreschen(Deutsch)arrebentar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "clobber"?
"clobber" is spelled C-L-O-B-B-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklɒb.ə(ɹ)/.
What does "clobber" mean?
As a verb, "clobber" means: To hit or bash severely; to seriously harm or damage.
How do you pronounce "clobber"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clobber" is /ˈklɒb.ə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "clobber"?
British slang from 1941; possibly onomatopoeic of the sound of detonated bombs in the distance. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "clobber", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Chantel#68,088Cormack#68,122Cortese#68,125bushido#68,069

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list