Hit repeatedly with a hammer; shaped by hammering; also slang for very drunk or exhausted.
From Old English 'hamer,' derived from Germanic roots meaning 'to strike.' The past tense 'hammered' evolved to be used metaphorically for anything struck repeatedly or, more recently, slang for intoxication.
The slang use of 'hammered' to mean drunk probably comes from feeling like you've been 'hit repeatedly' with exhaustion and loss of control—your body feels struck! Blacksmiths would hammer metal into shape, so 'hammered' started as a description of crafted objects before becoming slang for bruised people.
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