whacking

American

[hwak-ing, wak-] / ˈʰwæk ɪŋ, ˈwæk- /

adjective

Informal.

large.

whacking British

/ ˈwækɪŋ /

adjective

enormous

"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

adverb

(intensifier)

a whacking big lie

"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 whacking

First recorded in 1800–10; whack + -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.

Two big loans that were made during the postpandemic boom in private-equity buyouts are defaulting, whacking some private-credit funds and ratcheting up losses in the already troubled corner of Wall Street.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Markets are treading water due to other concerns too—notably private credit and ongoing fears about artificial intelligence whacking software and services companies.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

And Tommy Edman continued his slugging surge from late last season by whacking the first home run of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025

“You know that ain’t right,” she says, whacking me good.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023