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Synonyms

smacking

American  
[smak-ing] / ˈsmæk ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. smart, brisk, or strong, as a breeze.

  2. Chiefly British Slang. smashing.


smacking British  
/ ˈsmækɪŋ /

adjective

  1. brisk; lively

    a smacking breeze

"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

Other Word Forms

  • smackingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of smacking

First recorded in 1585–95; smack 2 + -ing 2

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.

There have been countless other important space-related milestones since Apollo 17, our last moon visit, but what’s more dramatic than bouncing around in one-sixth of Earth’s gravity and smacking golf balls between lunar craters?

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

The first thing she does in the morning is give her phone 30 vigorous shakes, smacking it with one hand into the palm of the other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

A mother-of-two says she is "baffled" that smacking a child was ever legal in Wales, nearly three years on from a ban being introduced.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

How do you square this with him fully signing off on a Gorsuch opinion smacking trial court judges upside the head?

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025

Her head felt like it would explode at any moment; through the buzzing in her ears, she could hear one of its mouths smacking loudly.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack