slap

[ slap ]

/ slæp /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR slap ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

a sharply worded or sarcastic rebuke or comment.

verb (used with object), slapped, slap·ping.

to strike sharply, especially with the open hand or with something flat.

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.

to put or place promptly and sometimes haphazardly (often followed by on): The officer slapped a ticket on the car. He slapped mustard on the sandwich.

adverb

Informal. directly; straight; smack: The tug rammed slap into the side of the freighter.

Verb Phrases

slap down,

to subdue, especially by a blow or by force; suppress.
to reject, oppose, or criticize sharply: to slap down dissenting voices.

QUIZZES

QUIZ TIME: TEST YOUR MEMORY OF THE MAY 2020 WORDS OF THE DAY

Let the aeolian gusts transport you back to these popular Words of the Day from the month of May. How many do you remember?

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot”?

hightail

peregrinate

perpetrate

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for slap

slap on the wrist, relatively mild criticism or censure: He got away with a slap on the wrist.

Origin of slap

First recorded in 1625–35, slap is from the Low German word slapp, slappe; of expressive orig.

synonym study for slap

1. See blow¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM slap

slap·per, noun

Words nearby slap

slant-eyed, slant-in, slant-top, slanter, slantwise, slap, slap bass, slap dashing, slap down, slap in the face, slap on the back

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for slap down (1 of 2)

slap down

verb

(tr, adverb) informal to rebuke sharply, as for impertinence

British Dictionary definitions for slap down (2 of 2)

slap

/ (slæp) /

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

a bit of slap and tickle or slap and tickle British informal sexual play

a slap in the face an insult or rebuff

a slap on the back congratulation

a slap on the wrist a light punishment or reprimand

verb slaps, slapping or slapped

(tr) to strike (a person or thing) sharply, as with the open hand or something flat

(tr) to bring down (the hand, something flat, etc) sharply

(when intr, usually foll by against) to strike (something) with or as if with a slap

(tr) informal, mainly British to apply in large quantities, haphazardly, etcshe slapped butter on the bread

slap on the back to congratulate

adverb informal

exactly; directlyslap on time

forcibly or abruptlyto fall slap on the floor

Derived forms of slap

slapper, noun

Word Origin for slap

C17: from Low German slapp, German Schlappe, of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with slap down

slap down

Restrain or correct emphatically, as in They thought he was getting far too arrogant and needed to be slapped down. This idiom, which literally means “inflict a physical blow,” began to be used figuratively in the first half of the 1900s.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

slap

noun