slap
1 Americannoun
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a sharp blow or smack, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
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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.
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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
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a gap or opening, as in a fence, wall, cloud bank, or line of troops.
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a mountain pass.
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a wound or gash.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a sharp blow or smack, as with the open hand, something flat, etc
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the sound made by or as if by such a blow
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a sharp rebuke; reprimand
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informal sexual play
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an insult or rebuff
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congratulation
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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
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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:
“Doing it now, just before Jackson Hole, strikes me as pretty inconsiderate if not a slap in the face.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The move was described as a "slap in the face" by openly gay footballer Jake Daniels, who had received a message of support from Henderson when he came out.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Section 301 has also opened the door to new country-specific tariffs targeted at Brazil, at 25%, while Section 338 was cited to slap an extra 50% import tax on certain Canadian goods.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Lineage recently applied for building permits to replace the site, which Bass called “a slap in the face” to Boyle Heights families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
He and Supreme slap palms and end it in a one-armed hug.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
I was slapped with a bill for $1,022 for this year’s tests.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Just this week, Trump slapped sweeping new tariffs on 60 trading partners and saw 25-percent duties take effect on Brazilian products.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Air regulators have slapped Lineage Logistics with multiple violations related to the putrid odor at its Boyle Heights facility after receiving more than 720 complaints from residents since Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mexico has sought to reduce US tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos after Trump slapped sharp duties on steel, aluminum and copper imports.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Zeke was so surprised by the question it was like someone had slapped him in the chest.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Too many, I’d say, but slapping droning voiceovers atop expository visuals isn’t for me.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
“If it’s just slapping a brand name on a pre-existing screen, that feels very deceptive and dishonest to me,” Storch said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
The world's tech giants have already begun slapping their own labels in anticipation of the rules.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Science class starts… NOW!” the company posted on Facebook, noting that a moose has 6-foot antlers “for defending territory,” while a beaver has a flat tail “for slapping water.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
We hear it, slapping harsh, hissing, hitting like cement.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions 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.
