punching bag

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punching bag

A boxer practices his punches on a heavy punching bag in the gym.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A piece of boxing equipment: An inflated ball or heavy bag, typically suspended, that is punched repeatedly for exercise, training, or stress relief.
    • A metaphorical target for abuse: A person who is consistently subjected to criticism, blame, or the venting of another's anger.
Usage Examples

  • Noun (Physical Object):

    • The boxer spent an hour every day hitting the punching bag to build strength.
    • She installed a punching bag in her garage for her cardio workout.

  • Noun (Metaphorical Target):

    • After the project failed, the junior manager became the punching bag for the entire department.
    • I'm tired of being my boss's emotional punching bag every time something goes wrong.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be/act as a punching bag": To serve as the target for someone's frustration or aggression.
    • In the meeting, he just sat there and acted as a punching bag for the client's complaints.
  • "to use someone as a punching bag": To consistently direct one's anger or negativity toward a specific person.
    • It's not fair to use your assistant as a punching bag for your bad moods.
Variants and Related Words
  • Heavy bag (n): A specific type of large, cylindrical punching bag used for developing power in boxing and martial arts.
  • Speed bag (n): A small, air-filled punching bag attached to a platform, used to improve hand-eye coordination and speed.
  • Punchbag (n): A common British English spelling variant of "punching bag."
Synonyms
  • Scapegoat: A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others.
  • Whipping boy: A person who is regularly singled out for punishment or criticism.
  • Sandbag: (In the context of boxing equipment) A heavy, often cylindrical bag filled with sand or other material for punching.
Related Phrases
  • Punching bag syndrome: An informal term describing a situation where a person habitually endures abuse or blame.
    • The constant criticism from leadership has created a real punching bag syndrome among the staff.
punching bag

A boxer practices his punches on a heavy punching bag in the gym.

Noun
  1. an inflated ball or bag that is suspended and punched for training in boxing
  2. a person on whom another person vents their anger
    • he resigned because his boss used him as a punching bag

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