double whammy

[ duhb-uhl wam-ee, hwam-ee ]

noun

, Informal.

1. two devastating problems, setbacks, or catastrophes:

   The double whammy of insomnia and sleep apnea can make a night's rest almost impossible.

2. any doubled quantity or set of two:

   Visiting the sandwich shop and the ice cream shop makes a delightful savory-sweet double whammy for lunch.

Word History and Origins

Origin of double whammy¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Who can forget in 2012 the double whammy of GOP Senate candidates comments about rape?

From The Daily Beast

“The double whammy of those two set me on a course of thinking about issues I had never done before,” Sherwood told the Times.

From The Daily Beast

For stores like Walmart, which sells groceries and other goods to the same customers, the food-stamp cut will be a double-whammy.

From The Daily Beast

Why new cuts will be a double whammy for Bentonville—and anyone with a mutual fund.

From The Daily Beast

This “double whammy” of predation and competition enables jellyfish to cripple a food chain by essentially nibbling at its ankles.

From The Daily Beast