Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

cudgelling

verb (gerund)

/ˈkʌdʒ.əl.ɪŋ/

Definition

The act of striking someone with a heavy object or club, often metaphorically used to describe mental effort or struggle.

Examples

After hours of cudgelling over the math problem, she finally found the solution.
The writer was cudgelling his brain for ideas for the next chapter.
The debate had turned into a cudgeling match, with both sides fiercely defending their points.

Meaning

Cudgelling refers to both the physical act of hitting someone with a cudgel, which is a type of blunt weapon, as well as the metaphorical sense of using intense mental exertion or argumentation.