smack

¹

[smak]

noun

1. a taste or flavor, especially a slight flavor distinctive or suggestive of something.

   The chicken had just a smack of garlic.

   Synonyms: savor

2. a trace, touch, or suggestion of something.

   Synonyms: hint

3. a taste, mouthful, or small quantity.

verb (used without object)

1. to have a taste, flavor, trace, or suggestion.

   Your politeness smacks of condescension.

   Synonyms: suggest, taste

smack

²

[smak]

verb (used with object)

1. to strike sharply, especially with the open hand or a flat object.

2. to drive or send with a sharp, resounding blow or stroke.

   to smack a ball over a fence.

3. to close and open (the lips) smartly so as to produce a sharp sound, often as a sign of relish, as in eating.

4. to kiss with or as with a loud sound.

verb (used without object)

1. to smack the lips.

2. to collide, come together, or strike something forcibly.

3. to make a sharp sound as of striking against something.

noun

1. a sharp, resounding blow, especially with something flat.

2. a smacking of the lips, as in relish or anticipation.

3. a resounding or loud kiss.

adverb

Informal.

1. suddenly and violently.

   He rode smack up against the side of the house.

2. directly; straight.

   The street runs smack into the center of town.

verb phrase

1. smack down,  to humble (an arrogant person); rebuke or criticize severely.

smack

³

[smak]

noun

1. Eastern U.S.,  a fishing vessel, especially one having a well for keeping the catch alive.

2. British.,  any of various small, fully decked, fore-and-aft-rigged vessels used for trawling or coastal trading.

smack

⁴

[smak]

noun

Slang.

1. heroin.

smack

¹

/ smæk /

verb

1. (tr) to strike or slap smartly, with or as if with the open hand

2. to strike or send forcibly or loudly or to be struck or sent forcibly or loudly

3. to open and close (the lips) loudly, esp to show pleasure

4. (tr) to kiss noisily

noun

1. a sharp resounding slap or blow with something flat, or the sound of such a blow

2. a loud kiss

3. a sharp sound made by the lips, as in enjoyment

4. informal,  to attempt

5. informal,  a snub or setback

adverb

1. directly; squarely

2. with a smack; sharply and unexpectedly

smack

²

/ smæk /

noun

1. a smell or flavour that is distinctive though faint

2. a distinctive trace or touch

   the smack of corruption

3. a small quantity, esp a mouthful or taste

verb

1. to have the characteristic smell or flavour (of something)

   to smack of the sea

2. to have an element suggestive (of something)

   his speeches smacked of bigotry

smack

³

/ smæk /

noun

1. a sailing vessel, usually sloop-rigged, used in coasting and fishing along the British coast

2. a fishing vessel equipped with a well for keeping the catch alive

smack

⁴

/ smæk /

noun

1. a slang word for heroin

Word History and Origins

Origin of smack¹

First recorded before 1000; (noun) Middle English smacke, Old English smæc; cognate with Middle Low German smak, German Geschmack “taste”; (verb) Middle English smacken “to perceive by taste, have a (specified) taste,” derivative of the noun; compare German schmacken

Origin of smack²

First recorded in 1550–60; imitative; compare Dutch, Low German smakken, German (dialectal) schmacken

Origin of smack³

First recorded in 1605–15, smack is from the Dutch word smak

Origin of smack⁴

First recorded in 1960–65; probably special use of smack ¹; compare earlier slang schmeck with same sense (from Yiddish shmek “sniff, whiff”; compare Middle High German smecken ( German schmecken ) “to taste”

Word History and Origins

Origin of smack¹

C16: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch smacken, probably of imitative origin

Origin of smack²

Old English smæc; related to Old High German smoc, Icelandic smekkr a taste, Dutch smaak

Origin of smack³

C17: from Low German smack or Dutch smak, of unknown origin

Origin of smack⁴

C20: perhaps from Yiddish schmeck

Example Sentences

When Gali, toward the end, links Israel’s failures that day to a subsequent response that smacks of “revenge,” the movie feels close to addressing the unspoken.

From Los Angeles Times

A couple of years ago I might have felt uneasy with George’s insistence to make his wife breakfast, his keeping her stuff, and his gift-giving, because it smacks against the acceptance stage of grief work.

From Salon

Farage told the Telegraph, Sir Keir's language "smacks, frankly, of total desperation" after the prime minister referred to Reform as an "enemy" in an interview with the Guardian.

From BBC

Even if Labour were to conclude universally, which it is far from doing, that Starmer's leadership is somehow beyond repair, that reality is a smack in the face for those who'd seek a change.

From BBC

“We don’t want to live in fear, so we make ourselves useful working for organizations that move the scale away from fear and put us smack dab in the middle of love.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bang 
• squarely