slap
1 Americannoun
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a sharp blow or smack, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
-
a sound made by or as if by such a blow or smack.
the slap of the waves against the dock.
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a sharply worded or sarcastic rebuke or comment.
verb (used with object)
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to strike sharply, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
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to bring (the hand, something flat, etc.) with a sharp blow against something.
-
to dash or cast forcibly.
He slapped the package against the wall.
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to put or place promptly and sometimes haphazardly (often followed byon ).
The officer slapped a ticket on the car. He slapped mustard on the sandwich.
adverb
verb phrase
idioms
noun
-
a gap or opening, as in a fence, wall, cloud bank, or line of troops.
-
a mountain pass.
-
a wound or gash.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a sharp blow or smack, as with the open hand, something flat, etc
-
the sound made by or as if by such a blow
-
a sharp rebuke; reprimand
-
informal sexual play
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an insult or rebuff
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congratulation
-
a light punishment or reprimand
verb
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(tr) to strike (a person or thing) sharply, as with the open hand or something flat
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(tr) to bring down (the hand, something flat, etc) sharply
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to strike (something) with or as if with a slap
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informal (tr) to apply in large quantities, haphazardly, etc
she slapped butter on the bread
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to congratulate
adverb
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exactly; directly
slap on time
-
forcibly or abruptly
to fall slap on the floor
Synonym Usage
See blow 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slap1
First recorded in 1625–35; from Low German slapp(e); of expressive origin
Origin of slap2
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English slop(e) “inroad made into enemy ranks,” from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German; cognate with German Schlupf “hiding place”
Explanation
To slap someone is to hit them with the palm of your open hand. It's not nice to slap your sister, no matter how mad you are. A smack or open-handed blow is a slap, and you can also describe the sound it makes—or a similar sound—as a slap. You could describe the slap of water against the side of your rowboat, or say that your mom slaps her magazine against the table when she's done reading. Slap is also an informal adverb, meaning "immediately" or "directly:" "Sneaking out of class, he ran slap into the principal."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There has been no more satisfying slap in cinema this year than the one Erika lands on a smug German actor, leading to a wicked punchline that shouldn’t be spoiled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
“Or did ya just slap some AI slop on this piece that we were so helpful with?”
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
But in Andriesz's view that amounted to little more than a regulatory "slap on the wrist" and made it harder to make a claim for whistleblower retaliation against BGC at tribunal.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Riffing on the human need for emotional engagement through the arts with such venom is not just a slap in the face; it’s evidence of Iñárritu’s gnawing insecurities.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
John Henry’s eyes grew big and his head jerked back, like the word was a slap to the face.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Warner Bros. demanded Russell pare down the film’s most intense scenes yet still slapped it with an X rating in the U.S. and U.K., while other countries banned it outright.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
It also raises questions about how well these ads are being slapped together.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
That miss took into account a $1.2 billion fine the bank was slapped with by the Treasury Department after regulators found it had insufficient systems to monitor and report financial crimes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
De Paula tossed his bat aside, looked into the Dodgers dugout and slapped his chest across the letters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Somewhere in my head Tansy slapped a map.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
But that has not stopped the bloc from slapping fines on major players.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
The crowd had made its allegiances clear after a fiery build-up which included Itauma shoving Hrgovic, the Zagreb man slapping him back and plenty of verbal sparring.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Too many, I’d say, but slapping droning voiceovers atop expository visuals isn’t for me.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
What doesn’t work are gimmicks like slapping protein into old brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
“Come here, boy,” I said, slapping my leg with my hand.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
