whiplash
Americannoun
-
an abrupt snapping motion or change of direction resembling the lash of a whip.
-
Also whiplash injury. a neck injury caused by a sudden jerking backward, forward, or both, of the head.
Whiplash resulted when their car was struck from behind.
-
Also called whiplash curve. a connected series of reverse curves of more or less elliptical form, used as a major design motif in the Art Nouveau style.
verb (used with object)
-
to beat, hit, throw, etc., with or as if with a whiplash.
-
to affect adversely, as by a sudden change.
new taxes whiplashing corporate earnings.
noun
-
a quick lash or stroke of a whip or like that of a whip
-
med See whiplash injury
Etymology
Origin of whiplash
First recorded in 1565–75; 1950–55 whiplash for def. 6; whip + lash 1
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.
"Our data suggest this metabolic whiplash is detrimental to heart health," Al-Aly added.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
To go from that to the proposed high-end beach clubs and already present budget-airline weekenders involves extreme whiplash.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
It was very likely caused by the whiplash he’s endured by tracking all of those line drives whizzing past his ear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
This creates a cycle of rapid swings between drought and flooding, which is what people mean by weather whiplash.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
When his huge frame invades the narrow doorway, the memory of him hits me like whiplash.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
