wham

[ wam, hwam ]

/ wæm, ʰwæm /

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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.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of wham

First recorded in 1730–40; imitative

Words nearby wham

Whales, whale shark, whalesucker, whaling, whaling port, wham, whammo, whammy, whanau, whang, Whangarei

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use wham in a sentence

I don’t need this emotional wham on top of everything else I’m dealing with.
Carolyn Hax: It took a disaster for ER nurse’s dad to check in — is that a good thing?|Carolyn Hax|June 3, 2021|Washington Post
Gow heard branches fall, and as he turned, a bear hit the ground with a wham!
It’s His Land. Now a Canadian Company Gets to Take It.|by Lee van der Voo for ProPublica|October 1, 2020|ProPublica
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
There was a sudden catastrophic whooshing roar and, wham, a tree took flame for roots.
A Feast of Demons|William Morrison
"Yo' may tell wham yo' like what yo' like," the girl replied coldly; yet there was a tremor in her voice.
Bob, Son of Battle|Alfred Ollivant
In a jiffy, I'd be going slippety-sizzle over the edge of the eaves and land with a wham at Poetry's feet.
Shenanigans at Sugar Creek|Paul Hutchens
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
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

wham

Origin of wham

Words nearby wham

Words related to wham

How to use wham in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wham

Word Origin for wham