Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To beat down with the feet so as to crush, bruise, or destroy; tramp on.
  • intransitive verb To treat harshly or ruthlessly.
  • intransitive verb To tread heavily or destructively.
  • intransitive verb To inflict injury as if by treading heavily.
  • noun The action or sound of trampling.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A frequent heavy or rough tread; a trampling.
  • To beat or tread down by the tramping or stamping of feet, or by frequent treading; prostrate or crush by treading under foot; tread upon or tread down, literally or figuratively.
  • To tread with repeated force and shock; stamp; hence, to tramp roughshod; tread roughly or contemptuously.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To tread under foot; to tread down; to prostrate by treading.
  • transitive verb Fig.: To treat with contempt and insult.
  • intransitive verb To tread with force and rapidity; to stamp.
  • intransitive verb To tread in contempt; -- with on or upon.
  • noun The act of treading under foot; also, the sound produced by trampling.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To crush and destroy something by walking on it.
  • verb by extension To treat someone harshly.
  • verb intransitive To walk heavily and destructively.
  • verb by extension To cause emotional injury as if by trampling.
  • noun the sound of heavy footsteps

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb walk on and flatten
  • verb tread or stomp heavily or roughly
  • verb injure by trampling or as if by trampling
  • noun the sound of heavy treading or stomping

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English tramplen, frequentative of trampen, to tramp; see tramp.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

tramp +‎ -le (frequentative).

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Examples

  • Lisa Madigan, who is the political combine's best hope in 2010 to keep the cycle of old-style politics going, takes money from lobbyists and cronies as she works as the state's chief legal officer and says the reason she has knowingly ignored the violation of state laws by her fellow politicians is because she might "trample" on what the Feds "might do someday."

    Archive 2009-02-01 2009

  • They collect crowds to fill theatres, and there they introduce choirs of harlots and prostituted children, yea such as trample on nature herself; and they make the whole people sit on high, and so they captivate their city; so they crown these mighty kings whom they are perpetually admiring for their trophies and victories.

    NPNF1-12. Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians Editor 1889

  • Meadowbrook Middle School principal Cherie Washington says her team is going to "trample" Handley Middle School.

    PegasusNews.com stories 2009

  • At the same time, Makhmalbaf warned that the West should not "trample" on the Green Movement by fully embracing Iran's regime if it eventually reverses course on nuclear talks.

    بالاترین 2009

  • Elaborate security arrangements are being made in view of the two-day 'shutdown' called by banned CPI (Maoist) in Bihar from October 12 against Centre's move to "trample" its agitation with application of

    WN.com - Articles related to Key Democrat wants boost in forces in Afghanistan 2009

  • At the same time, Makhmalbaf warned that the West should not "trample" on the Green Movement by fully embracing Iran's regime if it eventually reverses course on nuclear talks.

    بالاترین segovia 2009

  • CAW president Ken Lewenza said such a provision would "trample" workers 'rights.

    LabourStart 2009

  • At the same time, Makhmalbaf warned that the West should not "trample" on the Green Movement by fully embracing Iran's regime if it eventually reverses course on nuclear talks.

    TIME.com: Top Stories 2009

  • But the technology may 'trample' civil liberties and privacy rights, warns Graeme Norton of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

    Top Stories - Google News 2008

  • But the technology may 'trample' civil liberties and privacy rights, warns Graeme Norton of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

    Top Stories - Google News 2008

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