trounce

Etymology 1

The origin of the verb is unknown; it is perhaps related to Old French troncer, troncher, troncir, tronchir (“to cut; to cut a piece from; to retrench”), from Old French tronce, tronche (“stump; piece of wood”). However, the English and Old French words differ in meaning. The noun is derived from the verb.

verb

1. (transitive) To beat severely; to thrash.
   There is a Law among them that whoſoever beats one of thoſe Clerks ſo, that his Cap fall to the ground, he is liable to a very ſevere penalty (if I well remember to looſe his hand) which nevertheleſs happens frequently in the Cabac: but to prevent the worſt when a Layman is minded to beat one of thoſe Muſhrooms, he firſt takes off his Cap and then trounces him off ſo long as he will, which done he ſets the Cap upon the right Block again. 1684, John Struys [i.e., Jan Janszoon Struys], “[The Third Voyage of John Struys.] The Religion and Church-government of the Russians. The Patriarch and His Office. Of Their Sacraments, &c.”, in John Morrison, transl., The Voiages and Travels of John Struys through Italy, Greece, Muscovy, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan, and Other Countries in Europe, Africa and Asia: […] Done out of Dutch, London: Printed for Abel Swalle,[…], →OCLC, page 152
   O yez; take notice! that the first bad boy I find killing an innocent bird, or trouncing a poor frog, I will have no mercy on him. 1843 March, “Argus” [pseudonym], “Short Hints”, in Charles T. Botts, L. M. Burfoot, editors, The Southern Planter, a Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture and the Household Arts, volume III, number 4, Richmond, Va.: Printed by P. D. Bernard,[…], published April 1843, →OCLC, page 89
2. (transitive) To beat or overcome thoroughly, to defeat heavily; especially (games, sports) to win against (someone) by a wide margin.
   The Mexican team trounced the Americans by 10 goals to 1.
   Mar[ina]. Crowd the Fidler is not there: / And my mind delighted is / With no ſtroke ſo much as his. / Mop[so]. If not he, / There will bee / Drone the Piper that will trounce it. / Mar. But if Crowd / Struck alowd, / Lord me thinks how I could bounce it. 1650, [Richard Brathwait], “The Shepheards Holy Day, Mopso and Marina”, in Recreation for Ingenious Head-peeces. Or, A Pleasant Grove for Their Wits to Walke in,[…], London: Printed by M. Simmons, and are to be sold by John Hancock[…], →OCLC
   What skill and dexterity soldiers, who are called together only once a week, may possess, in trouncing an enemy, which has already trounced half Europe, I will not pretend to determine; … 28 August 1803, G. H., “Letter II. August 28th, 1803.”, in Alfred’s Letters. An Essay on the Constitution of England, and an Appeal to the People; with Six Letters, on the Subject of Invasion, Originally Addressed to the Printers of the Two Shrewsbury Papers, Wellington, Iron Bridge [Shropshire?]: Printed by F. Houlston and Son, published 1804, →OCLC, page 15
   If by such reasoning all systems of political authority are rejected, [Mikhail] Bakunin, the greatest anarchist of the nineteenth century, must appear in the light of an ingenious berserker hastening in advance of his generation to wage war against Idea and Intellect, and to clear away all metaphysical and ideological obstacles, trouncing in a Scythian frenzy religion and politics, theology and law. 1932 January, Carl Schmitt, “[The Necessity of Politics] The Outcome”, in Carl Schmitt, Nicholas Berdyaev, Michael de la B[é]doyère, Vital Realities (Essays in Order; 5–7), New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, page 77
   In fact, they tried to defeat her Margaret Chase Smith] by offering to support her in a run for the governorship. Smith declined the offer and surprised everyone by trouncing three popular opponents in the Republican primary. She then went on to an easy victory in the general election. 1994, Isobel V. Morin, “Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman’s Place is in the House and in the Senate”, in Women of the U.S. Congress (Profiles), Minneapolis, Minn.: Oliver Press, pages 35 and 37
   In the divisional playoff, the [Denver] Broncos avenged their loss to the Miami Dolphins, trouncing them 38–3. 1999, Mark Stewart, “Staying on Top”, in Mariah Morgan, editor, Terrell Davis: Toughing It Out (Football’s New Wave), Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press, page 41
   I dislike bragging, but Edward and I trounced the opposition in the debate on state's rights last week. We received a hearty round of applause and have now challenged the debating team from Carleton to a match. 2003, Lauraine Snelling, More Than a Dream (Return to Red River; 3), Bloomington, Minn.: Bethany House Publishers, page 237
   Others believe big tech companies such as Google will quickly trounce the young upstarts, and that some of the new companies have little competitive advantage. 2023-01-07, Erin Griffith, Cade Metz, “A New Area of A.I. Booms, Even Amid the Tech Gloom”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
3. (transitive) To chastise or punish physically or verbally; to scold with abusive language.
   Though the senators are eminently courteous to each other, they have no more hesitation in speaking out their minds, upon occasion, than have the members of the House [of Representatives]. John P[arker] Hale, with [William Henry] Seward on his side, unmercifully trounces President [Franklin] Pierce and the slaveholders; and General [Lewis] Cass, helped out by Mr. [John Middleton] Clayton, most valiantly abuses England and Lord Palmerston. 1856 September, T. C. Henley, “A Glimpse of Uncle Sam Managing Affairs”, in William Harrison Ainsworth, editor, The New Monthly Magazine, volume CVIII, number CCCCXXIX, London: Chapman and Hall,[…], →OCLC, page 16
4. (transitive, Britain, regional) To punish by bringing a lawsuit against; to sue.
   And I have yet to graſp you left a Claw, / I'll trounce you, Sir, I'll hamper you with Law; / Witneſs I have of all that has been Spoken, / I'll bring an Action, for your Contract broken; / For Damages ſuſtain'd, I'll make you rue, / In Doctor's-Commons play the Devil too. 1737, [Robert] Drury, The Rival Milliners: Or, The Humours of Covent Garden.[…], London: Printed for G. Spavan,[…], →OCLC, act II, scene xii, page 41
   [A]s an ensign, stationed at Minorca, he Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine] was enthusiastic in his sympathy for General [John] Mostyn, when that Governor was trounced in an action for false imprisonment and other illegal treatment brought against him in the Common Pleas by Fabrigas. 1867, John Cordy Jeaffreson, “‘The Devil’s Own’”, in A Book about Lawyers. … In Two Volumes, 2nd revised edition, volume I, London: Hurst and Blackett, publishers, successors to Henry Colburn,[…], →OCLC, page 84

noun

1. An act of trouncing: a severe beating, a thrashing; a thorough defeat.
   He sprang on his prey with a pounce, / And he gave it a jerk and a trounce; / Then crunched up its bones / On the grass or the stones, / This carnivoristicous Ounce, / 'Ticous Ounce! / This carnivoristicous Ounce! 1881 November, Mrs. M. E. Blake, “The Carnivoristicous Ounce”, in Mary Mapes Dodge, editor, St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks, volume IX, part I, number 1, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, stanza 3, page 43, column 1
   She could hear the maid beating the pillows—a trounce for each—and tossing them into a pile where they fell with a plump. 1928, Madge Jenison, Dominance, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, →OCLC, page 193
   In the nick of time he lassoed with a trounce / the low-down villains who had stubbed our toes. 1990, James Broughton, Special Deliveries: New and Selected Poems, Seattle, Wash.: Broken Moon Press, page 12
   … [Harris] Wofford's campaign, headed by James Carville and concentrating on a need for national health insurance, was a trounce and stunning upset. 1993, 6th Annual Dentistry and the Law Conference: A National Conference, Burlingam, Calif.: Randall K. Berning and Affiliates, →OCLC

Etymology 2

The verb is derived from Middle English traunce, trauncen, trancen (“to move about (?); to prance (?); to trample the ground”) (whence modern English trance with the same senses), possibly either: * from Middle English trauncen, transen (“to pass from life to death, die”), from Old French transir (“to cut through, pass through”), from Latin trānsīre, present active infinitive of trānseō (“to cross, traverse; to go over (to a side or faction); to pass over; to exceed, surpass; of time: to elapse, pass; (figuratively) to cease, pass away”), from trāns (“across; beyond”) + eō (“to go”); or * a blend of Middle English tramplen (“to tread on, trample”) + dauncen (“to dance”) or prauncen (“to prance”). The noun is probably derived from the verb.

verb

1. (intransitive) To walk heavily or with some difficulty; to tramp, to trudge.
   There were no railways then—well, not in Hazelworth, at any rate—and as coach-fares would have absorbed most of our stock of "Sunday pennies," we had to "trounce" every inch of our way to Manchester. 1882, Ben[jamin] Brierley, “Easter Holidays: A ‘Lump-Yead’s’ Story”, in Popular Edition of Tales and Sketches of Lancashire Life: Daisy Nook Sketches, Manchester: Abel Heywood & Son,[…]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.,[…], →OCLC, page 180
   I am what a Yorkshireman would call a 'Lanky,' and perhaps as poor a specimen of the cotton county's human produce as ever trounced barefoot through its lanes, or shuddered at the sound of its factory bells. 1884, Ben[jamin] Brierley, “‘Dragged Up.’ [Written during the Cotton Famine.]”, in Tales and Sketches of Lancashire Life: The Chronicles of Waverlow, Manchester: Abel Heywood & Son,[…]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.,[…], →OCLC, page 25
2. (intransitive) To pass across or over; to traverse.
   "And at school everyone knows I'm Dana Winslow's younger sister. Mr. Johnson, the science teacher, even calls me Dana sometimes." / Dana looked up then. "Do you answer him?" / "I have to. If I don't he thinks I'm not participating." Aly got up and trounced over to the bookcase. 1998, Jill Barnett, “[Old Things] Chapter 8”, in Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, Jill Barnett, That Summer Place, New York, N.Y.: Mira; republished New York, N.Y.: Mira, 2008, page 75
3. (intransitive) To travel quickly over a long distance.
   Lyra trounces into the kitchen, a smile on her face. "Good morning, everyone! Morning, Grandpa. Morning, Gramps." 2005, Lisa Samson, chapter 24, in Club Sandwich: A Novel, Colorado Springs, Colo.: WaterBrook Press, Random House, page 286
   Don't thank us, then, she snaps, and trounces off down the road. 2009, Jacob Polley, chapter 13, in Talk of the Town, London: Picador; republished London: Picador, 2010, page 121

noun

1. A walk involving some difficulty or effort; a trek, a tramp, a trudge.
   An' what a trounce it's bin! I declare to goodness I'm as out o' wynt as an owd pair o' ballis, wi' walkin so far. 1882, Ben[jamin] Brierley, “[The Bride of Cherry Tree Cottage] Chapter II”, in Popular Edition of Tales and Sketches of Lancashire Life: Daisy Nook Sketches, Manchester: Abel Heywood & Son,[…]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.,[…], →OCLC, page 205
2. A journey involving quick travel; also, one that is dangerous or laborious.
   Sec a trounce we've hed ower t' fells! Such a trounce we've had over the fells! 1878, William Dickinson, “Troonce, c[entral], n[orth], Tràwwnce, s[outh]w[est]”, in A Glossary of Words and Phrases Pertaining to the Dialect of Cumberland (Series C (Original Glossaries, and Glossaries with Fresh Additions); VIII), London: Printed for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co.,[…], →OCLC, page 106