whack

¹

[hwak, wak]

verb (used with object)

1. to strike with a smart, resounding blow or blows.

2. Slang.,  to divide into or take in shares (often followed byup ).

   Whack the loot between us two.

verb (used without object)

1. to strike a smart, resounding blow or blows.

noun

1. a smart, resounding blow.

   a whack with his hand.

2. Informal.,  a trial or attempt.

   to take a whack at a job.

   Synonyms: turn, go, try

3. Slang.,  a portion or share.

verb phrase

1. whack out,  to produce quickly or, sometimes, carelessly.

   She whacks out a short story every week or so.

2. whack off

   1. to cut off or separate with a blow.

      The cook whacked off the fish's head.

   2. Slang: Vulgar.,  to masturbate.

whack

²

[hwak, wak]

noun

1. a variant of wack.

whack

/ wæk /

verb

1. to strike with a sharp resounding blow

2. informal,  (usually passive) to exhaust completely

3. informal,  (tr; usu foll by in or on) to put something on to or into something else with force or abandon

   whack on some sunscreen

noun

1. slang,  (tr) to murder

   if you were out of line you got whacked

2. a sharp resounding blow or the noise made by such a blow

3. informal,  a share or portion

4. informal,  a try or attempt (esp in the phrase have a whack at )

5. informal,  out of order; unbalanced

   the whole system is out of whack

interjection

1. an exclamation imitating the noise of a sharp resounding blow

Other Word Forms

• whacker noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of whack¹

First recorded in 1710–20; originally dialect, Scots form of thwack; whang ², whittle

Word History and Origins

Origin of whack¹

C18: perhaps a variant of _thwack , ultimately of imitative origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. out of whack, out of order or alignment; not in proper condition.

More idioms and phrases containing whack

• have a crack (whack) at
• out of kilter (whack)

Example Sentences

Linehan "deliberately whacked" the phone and threw it in the road outside a conference last October, his trial was told.

Read more on BBC

It had become so dirty during her travels that the Swanburne laundry had volunteered to take a whack at cleaning it.

Read more on Literature

She wagged her tail so hard that it whacked the admiral repeatedly on the side of his leg.

Read more on Literature

So how many of these borderline investments would have to go south before the fund’s net asset value gets whacked?

Read more on MarketWatch

To be online and aware is to be whacked over the head with clips of bloody conflict, obvious grifts and dogbrained tech that boils the oceans to create shareholder value forever.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• wallop