ham‧mer‧ing/ˈhæmərɪŋ/ noun[SINGULAR, UNCOUNTABLE] 1. take a hammering/be given a hammering to be attacked or defeated very severely: ▪ The city took a real hammering during the war.
2. the sound of someone hitting something with a hammer or with their hands: ▪ There was a loud hammering at the door.
noun COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES take a hammering/beating (=be forced to accept defeat or a bad situation) ▪ Small businesses took a hammering in the last recession. EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES ▪ I heard hammering outside the building. EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS ▪ After much midnight hammering, a large wooden frame, covered in chicken wire with a drop down door was constructed. ▪ But their attention was attracted to the sounds which arose in the background - a sort of confused hammering and shouting. ▪ The hammering began again, loud, insistent and irregular. ▪ The hammering of Jem and Eric followed him, as he rushed upstairs with the torch to Marius Steen's bedroom. ▪ The pop music had been turned up quite loud now, and they were all hammering and banging away. ▪ When the hammering stopped and they withdrew, it was noted that a rope hung from the cross-beam.