a banger

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformal

   A very good, exciting song, especially one that people dance to.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a banger', 'two bangers', 'that banger'.

   Patterns

   • a real banger
   • that song is a banger

   That new track by the band is an absolute banger.

   The DJ played one banger after another all night.

   She said the opening song was a banger and put it on repeat.

2. 2nouncountableBritishinformal

   A sausage.

   Grammar: Countable; common in British food contexts, e.g. 'bangers and mash'.

   Patterns

   • bangers and mash
   • a plate of bangers

   We had bangers and mash for dinner.

   He bought a pack of bangers from the butcher.

   The pub serves excellent bangers with onion gravy.

3. 3nouncountableBritish

   A small firework that makes a loud noise.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural 'bangers'.

   Patterns

   • let off bangers
   • a box of bangers

   The kids let off bangers in the garden.

   Bangers can be dangerous if handled carelessly.

   You could hear bangers going off all evening.

Word forms

Common combinations

an absolute banger

That chorus is an absolute banger.

bangers and mash

Bangers and mash is a classic British dish.

let off a banger

They let off a banger to celebrate.

a real banger

The final track is a real banger.

Synonyms and how they differ

hit

A 'hit' is a successful song, but it may be slow or quiet; a banger is always energetic and loud.

anthem

An 'anthem' is a song that unites a group; a banger focuses on energy and danceability.

sausage

The neutral word for the food; 'banger' is informal and mainly British.

Word family

bang verb

To make a loud noise, or to hit something hard.

banging adjective

Informal: excellent or exciting, e.g. a banging tune.

Commonly confused: a banger or banger?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a banger”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words