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Synonyms

spank

1 American  
[spangk] / spæŋk /

verb (used with object)

  1. to strike (a person, usually a child) with the open hand, a slipper, etc., especially on the buttocks, as in punishment.

noun

  1. a blow given in spanking; a smart or resounding slap.

spank 2 American  
[spangk] / spæŋk /

verb (used without object)

  1. to move rapidly, smartly, or briskly.

spank 1 British  
/ spæŋk /

verb

  1. (tr) to slap or smack with the open hand, esp on the buttocks

"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

noun

  1. a slap or series of slaps with the flat of the hand

"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
spank 2 British  
/ spæŋk /

verb

  1. (intr) to go at a quick and lively pace

"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

Etymology

Origin of spank1

First recorded in 1720–30; imitative

Origin of spank2

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from spanking

Explanation

To spank is to hit someone with an open palm, especially as punishment. You should never spank your dog, even when she chews your favorite shoes; a firm "No!" is a strong enough correction. To spank is to slap, most often on the rear end. In some places, it's perfectly acceptable for a parent to spank their child for misbehaving, but spanking is increasingly seen as potentially harmful—and in some countries, it's even illegal. Spank is an imitative word, which means it was coined as an imitation of the sound of a spank on skin.

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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.

He posted a photo on Instagram showing himself and comics Na’im Lynn and Spank Horton and stylist John Burgandee squatting with hands clasped in prayer.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2018

Spank the Plank can be heard on BBC Radio 4 at 1130 GMT on Thursday 6 November.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2014

“He’s so funny, it’s crazy,” the rapper Spank Rock said.

From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2013

This included the 2005 compilation album Sliver: The Best of the Box, packed with demos and outtakes, including a 1985 demo of "Spank Thru"—the only recording ever released by Fecal Matter, Kurt Cobain's first band.

From Slate • Jul. 14, 2011

If that is thy way of using opportunity," said Spank, looking at me with some contempt, "thou wilt never thrive in these times, my lad.

From Lorna Doone A Romance of Exmoor by Blackmore, R. D. (Richard Doddridge)

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.