noun
clash
KLASH
noun
1
A loud, jarring sound made when hard objects strike together.
"There was a clash of cymbals at the climax of the song."
2
A serious disagreement, fight, or conflict between people or groups.
"The meeting ended in a clash between the two department heads."
"Border clashes broke out between the two countries."
verb
1
To disagree or fight, often heatedly.
"The siblings clashed constantly over the inheritance."
2
Of colours, patterns, or styles: to look bad together.
"That orange tie clashes horribly with his green shirt."
3
To happen at the same time, making it impossible to attend both.
"Unfortunately, the two concerts clash on the same evening."
How to Use Clash
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA collision, disagreement, or mismatch — used for sounds, conflicts, colours, and clashing schedules alike.
Common pairings
clash of opinions
colours that clash
the two events clash
a violent clash
Word Forms
clashed past tense, clashes plural, clashes singular
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There was a _____ of cymbals at the climax of the song.
Etymology
Imitative (onomatopoeic) in origin, echoing the sound of a sudden collision — related to similar "clap/slap" words in Dutch and German.