Definition
- to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops
- to force into submission or compliance especially by violent measures
(Ref: Merriam-Webster Online, Word of the day, 7 January 2020)
Use it in a sentence
The bride-to-be, Tabitha, whooped as she held up her champagne flute, screamed again, louder still, and then sculled her drink. Her hot pink, strapless dress had crept a little too far south and one of her three bridesmaids made an effort to hug her affectionately and hoist it up a little without her noticing. Tabitha was a little volatile. It was wiser for them to just laugh along in mock hysteria and encourage her to cut loose on the dance floor, whilst keeping a careful eye on her cleavage. Her bridesmaids had been dragooned into this sham of a Hen’s night. None of them felt like being festive or congratulative. They exchanged looks, sipped their vodka, lime and sodas and, waited for Tabitha to burn herself out.
The truth was that none of them particularly liked the groom-to-be. The Stag. Capital ‘S’. Because he had an ego like antlers and he often thrashed them about, trying to start fights. The bridesmaids sighed. They had bickered among themselves, about whether to say something or leave it. Tabitha knew, or at least sensed, that they didn’t like him, but said nothing in his defence.
By the end of the night though, none of them had to say anything. Propped up against the bar in the last place open at 4am, they crossed paths with the stag party. And there was the groom-to-be, pashing a skinny redhead like his life depended on it. Tabitha froze for a moment. When he slid a hand up the girl’s thigh she let out an almighty scream, and hurled her purse at him. She followed the purse with a glass of wine snatched off a table. She picked up a bottle too but her posse stepped in, wrestled the bottle from her hand and gently pulled her away from the scene. They shook their heads at each other but frankly they were all rather pleased.
And like that, the wedding was off.