wham

[ hwam, wam ]

/ ʰwæm, wæm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wham ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a loud sound produced by an explosion or sharp impact: the wham of a pile driver.

a forcible impact.

interjection

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

verb (used with or without object), whammed, wham·ming.

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

Also whammo. abruptly; with startling suddenness: The car ran wham up against the building.

Nearby words

whaler shark, whales, whalesucker, whaling, whaling port, wham, whammo, whammy, whanau, whang, whangarei

Origin of wham

First recorded in 1730–40; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wham

One day you reach down to pick up a bag, sleep in an awkward position, or fall on the street, and— WHAM— your back gets injured.
Is Your Chair Killing You? The Consequences of Comfort|Daniel E. Lieberman|October 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Sure, the standard carols and tracks by the likes of the Beach Boys, Wham!
Twelve Christmas Song Fails: John Travolta, Justin Bieber & More (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There’s Muslim-baiting imagery borrowed from 24 and an absurd ‘80s nostalgia sing-along that would make the boys from Wham!
The Top 10 Weirdest Campaign Ads|John Avlon|August 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Her pregnancy was heralded in the Sun with the headline “Wham Bam Sam Cam.”
Move Over, Michelle|Olivia Cole|May 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST

I stepped out between acts for a breath of fresh air, and wham, a sack over the head and here I am.
The Hell Ship|Raymond Alfred Palmer
Why he used to spell “who” wha, and “have” hae, and “whom” wham!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 93., October 22, 1887|Various
Is his dochter Jeanie, wham ye intend for my mither's servant, like her father?
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. XX|Alexander Leighton
There was a sudden catastrophic whooshing roar and, wham, a tree took flame for roots.
A Feast of Demons|William Morrison
But considere also quod she in wham is blisfulnesse enhabite.
Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's 'De Consolatione Philosophiae'|Geoffrey Chaucer

British Dictionary definitions for wham

wham

/ (wæm) /

noun

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

interjection

an exclamation imitative of this sound

verb whams, whamming or whammed

to strike or cause to strike with great force

Word Origin for wham

C20: of imitative origin

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