battering

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

battering
    n 1: the act of subjecting to strong attack [syn: {battering},
         {banging}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Batter \Bat"ter\ (b[a^]t"t[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Battered}
   (b[a^]t"t[~e]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Battering}.] [OE. bateren,
   OF. batre, F. battre, fr. LL. battere, for L. batuere to
   strike, beat; of unknown origin. Cf. {Abate}, {Bate} to
   abate.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To beat with successive blows; to beat repeatedly and with
      violence, so as to bruise, shatter, or demolish; as, to
      batter a wall or rampart.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To wear or impair as if by beating or by hard usage. "Each
      battered jade." --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Metallurgy) To flatten (metal) by hammering, so as to
      compress it inwardly and spread it outwardly.
      [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

battering \bat"ter*ing\ n.
   the act or process of subjecting to strong repeated blows.

   Syn: banging.
        [WordNet 1.5]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

20 Moby Thesaurus words for "battering":
      assault, attack, butchery, disorderliness, forcible seizure,
      killing, laying waste, looting, massacre, obstreperousness,
      onslaught, pillaging, rape, riot, rioting, sacking, slaughter,
      sowing with salt, unruliness, violation