- a variation of wack.
whack
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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whacks,
present (3rd person singular)
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whacked,
past participle, past
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whacking
present participle
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to strike with a smart, resounding blow or blows.
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Slang. to divide into or take in shares (often followed byup ).
Whack the loot between us two.
verb (used without object)
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whacks,
present (3rd person singular)
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whacked,
past participle, past
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whacking
present participle
noun
verb phrase
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whack out to produce quickly or, sometimes, carelessly.
She whacks out a short story every week or so.
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whack off
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to cut off or separate with a blow.
The cook whacked off the fish's head.
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Slang: Vulgar. to masturbate.
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idioms
noun
verb
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to strike with a sharp resounding blow
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informal (usually passive) to exhaust completely
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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
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slang (tr) to murder
if you were out of line you got whacked
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a sharp resounding blow or the noise made by such a blow
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informal a share or portion
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informal a try or attempt (esp in the phrase have a whack at )
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informal out of order; unbalanced
the whole system is out of whack
interjection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whacksimple
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whackssimple
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have whackedperfect
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has whackedperfect
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am whackingprogressive
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are whackingprogressive
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is whackingprogressive
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have been whackingperfect progressive
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has been whackingperfect progressive
Past
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whackedsimple
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had whackedperfect
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was whackingprogressive
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were whackingprogressive
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had been whackingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whack
First recorded in 1710–20; originally dialect, Scots form of thwack; cf. whang 2, whittle
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.
See Examples For:
“We have a red-flag system here, where if there’s anything that gets really out of whack, they can immediately tag the milk, and it doesn’t go to anything but cheese,” McAfee told me.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The truth is college sports have always been a little out of whack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
"Having to play with an insole throughout my entire career threw the rest of my body out of whack."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
“My immune system and digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple of three years,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
“Old circus joke. Can’t help ourselves. On the show, people ask that question a thousand times a day. Elephants are chained to a picket line so they don’t run off — or whack somebody.”
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Tech shares have taken their share of whacks in the past few months.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
Speculative effort from Martina Piemonte, who from around 40 yards out whacks the ball towards the Arsenal goal.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2024
“FDA whacks one product and then the manufacturers get around it and the kids get around it,” said Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a Stanford University psychologist who develops anti-vaping educational materials.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2023
The Angels’ superstar whacks a line-drive homer in the third inning and has two doubles in a 10-3 win over Minnesota.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
Her judgment is so heavy it’s like it whacks me over the head.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Indeed, as the band, including Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Lewis and Schwartzman, performed the Bobby Fuller Four’s single “Let Her Dance,” Murray indeed whacked the hell out of that thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
The economy may be less like a tire swing that always bounces back after being whacked with a stick, and more like a piñata that eventually bursts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
The match went down to the final over but Sam Curran duly whacked Janith Liyanage for six to wrap up the win with two balls to spare.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
The latest market driver is his selection of Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve boss, which has lifted the dollar, hit bond prices and whacked precious metals.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026
Jermaine finally whacked Daddy’s chest and that made Daddy feel better, so he let him slide down off the fridge.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
Buttler made 33 from 20 before Walter combined with the destructive Heinrich Klaasen and the pair added 114 off just 52 balls, with Walter whacking eight sixes and Klaasen four.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
So now he’s whacking Canada harder for punching back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
From repeatedly whacking steel with a heavy hammer to sitting sweat-drenched by a hearth for hours, the daily grind of blademaking is also not for the faint-hearted.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
Ellie Kildunne, whose concussion symptoms must have eased judging by the way she was whacking a pitchside drum, has more obvious stardust to her game.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025
Here we are, two guys from far places, whacking at a tree we hold nothing against, for a hard lady who cares for nobody but her own face-stretched self, about to plunge to our deaths.
From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads
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.
