What does "jackhammer" mean?
A portable percussive power tool that combines a hammer and chisel used to drill or break hard matter, for instance rock or concrete.
Jackhammer
/ˈd͡ʒækˌhæmɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A portable percussive power tool that combines a hammer and chisel used to drill or break hard matter, for instance rock or concrete.
- Grammar: jackhammer is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: pneumatic hammer, air hammer, demolition hammer, demolition noise.
- Useful contrasts: build, construct, delicate method.
- Usage evidence: Tom and Mary went to see "Environmental Noise" live in concert. It was just a jackhammer and some angst-ridden crows.
How to use "jackhammer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jackhammer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "jackhammer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "jackhammer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "jackhammer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "jackhammer" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pneumatic hammer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "jackhammer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A portable percussive power tool that combines a hammer and chisel used to drill or break hard matter, for instance rock or concrete.
- 2 a hammer driven by compressed air wordnet
- 3 Something that is very strong but also very rigid. figuratively
"A new skiercross pro tour is on the docket, as well as freeskiing. Just like racing, both require strong but supple legs rather than jackhammer quads."
Verb
- 1 To use a jackhammer. intransitive
"Early the next day a crew came to fix the street. Vernon was out there at once, watching them jackhammer and haul the asphalt […]"
- 2 To break (something) using a jackhammer. transitive
"The foundations for the barrier had been jackhammered away; the piles of broken concrete were just left alongside the road."
- 3 To form (something) using a jackhammer. transitive
"Small ledges had been jackhammered at each end of the crater and timbers bolted into them, forming abutments of the bridge that was to come."
- 4 To move like a jackhammer. figuratively, intransitive
"[…] a bolt of lightning jackhammered across the sky, interrupting his dream."
- 5 To move like a jackhammer.; To beat hard, to pound. (of the heart or pulse) figuratively, intransitive
"[…] he lay rigid, his heart jackhammering, telling himself that there was nothing out there, nothing […]"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To move (something) like a jackhammer. figuratively, transitive
"He […] drew his knees toward his chest as far as the cramped space would allow, and jackhammered his feet into the forward wall of the trunk, which was formed by the backseat of the car."
- 7 To strike (something) repeatedly with force, to pound. figuratively, transitive
"Guam-based B-52 bombers, newly modified to haul 60,000 lbs. of bombs each, jackhammered a Viet Cong radio and communications center 35 miles northeast of Saigon."
Synonyms
All synonyms pneumatic hammerair hammerdemolition hammerdemolition noiseelectric jackhammergasoline jackhammer
Example
"Tom and Mary went to see "Environmental Noise" live in concert. It was just a jackhammer and some angst-ridden crows."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jackhammer"?
Common synonyms include: pneumatic hammer, air hammer, demolition hammer, demolition noise, electric jackhammer, gasoline jackhammer.
How do you use "jackhammer" in a sentence?
Tom and Mary went to see "Environmental Noise" live in concert. It was just a jackhammer and some angst-ridden crows.
How do you pronounce "jackhammer"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒækˌhæmɚ/.
Etymology
From jack + hammer.