double whammy

American  

[duhb-uhl wam-ee, hwam-ee] / ˈdʌb əl ˈwæm i, ˈʰwæm i /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of double whammy

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

“For device manufacturers, this is a double whammy,” the analyst says, adding that rising component costs and weakened consumer purchasing power could slow the demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

As the technology selloff deepens, Oracle’s stock has been hit by a double whammy of generalized software concerns and jitters around the company’s own artificial-intelligence spending.

From MarketWatch

If you lose the house, you don’t just lose a lot of bricks and mortar — you lose the dream you envisioned, and you have to deal with the double whammy that someone else will soon be living in “your” house.

From MarketWatch

Garganera noted that the disaster was a "sad, double whammy" for the city, as the facility was the "lone service provider" for Cebu and adjacent communities.

From Barron's

Health care analysts predict hospitals and other providers will raise prices to cover the double whammy of lost Medicaid revenue and the cost of caring for an influx of newly uninsured patients.

From Los Angeles Times