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View synonyms for wham

wham

[hwam, wam]

noun

  1. a loud sound produced by an explosion or sharp impact.

    the wham of a pile driver.

  2. a forcible impact.



interjection

  1. (used as an exclamation suggestive of a loud slam, blow, or the like.)

verb (used with or without object)

whammed, whamming 
  1. to hit or make a forcible impact, especially one producing a loud sound.

    The boat whammed into the dock.

    He whammed the door shut.

adverb

  1. Also abruptly; with startling suddenness.

    The car ran wham up against the building.

wham

/ wæm /

noun

  1. a forceful blow or impact or the sound produced by such a blow or impact

“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

interjection

  1. an exclamation imitative of this sound

“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

verb

  1. to strike or cause to strike with great force

“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wham1

First recorded in 1730–40; imitative
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wham1

C20: of imitative origin
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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.

The chopper was near the hospital, “and just about that time, ‘wham!’”

Read more on Seattle Times

The notion of a retrospective, a staple of museum programming, is less common in the theater, where audiences have been trained to think of theater outings as one-night-stands — wham, bam, thank you Mamet.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With these “stealthy” solar events, “there’s a kind of meager-looking eruption and then, all of a sudden, wham!”

Read more on Scientific American

“Stacked up, big storm after big storm after big storm — wham, wham, wham.”

Read more on Seattle Times

One doesn’t expect to have one’s stomach churned by such a documentary, but then — wham!

Read more on New York Times

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whaling portwhammo