Bashers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Those who repeatedly express negative sentiments or hostility towards specific subjects or individuals
2. Individuals who habitually express harsh criticism or verbal attacks towards others
3. Persons known for their frequent and forceful negative remarks directed at people or ideas

Etymology: "Basher" is a plain formation: the verb "bash" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who bashes. The verb "bash" means to strike hard, and in English the "-er" ending was long used to form words for people who do a thing, so a basher was originally someone who strikes or batters. The suffix itself has a long ancestry, descending through Old English "-ere" from a Proto-Germanic form, and reaching English in parallel with the Latin "-arius" that passed into Old French "-ier" and then Middle English "-er." The modern sense has moved well away from physical blows. "Bashers" now describes people who repeatedly attack a person, group, product or idea with criticism or hostility, as in online "bashers" who target a particular celebrity or game. The figurative shift works the same way the verb did: a word for striking hard became a word for striking verbally, and the plural simply names a group of such critics.

Synonyms: attacker, assailant