wham

American  

[hwam, wam] / ʰwæm, wæm /

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 British  

/ wæm /

noun

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

---

interjection

1. an exclamation imitative of this sound

verb

1. to strike or cause to strike with great force

Etymology

Origin of wham

First recorded in 1730–40; imitative

Example Sentences

We wham into the thicket with a vengeance.

From Literature

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

From Seattle Times

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

From Scientific American

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

From Seattle Times

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

From New York Times