Smackdown
noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A physical or emotional confrontation; a battle, a fight; also, a bitter rivalry. informal
"Considering these numbers, which positively put the smackdown on GM's much celebrated fuel-cell concept vehicle, the Hy-Wire (built on the Autonomy chassis), Shimizu was understandably crestfallen when, at this year's Detroit auto show, he received but two orders for the KAZ."
- 2 A significant or humiliating setback or defeat; a beating, a thrashing. informal
Example
More examples"Considering these numbers, which positively put the smackdown on GM's much celebrated fuel-cell concept vehicle, the Hy-Wire (built on the Autonomy chassis), Shimizu was understandably crestfallen when, at this year's Detroit auto show, he received but two orders for the KAZ."
Etymology
Deverbal from smack down (“to defeat utterly and decisively, especially in a humiliating way”), from smack (“sharp blow, slap”, noun) + down. Influenced by earlier throwdown. Popularized by: * the United States professional wrestling television programme WWF SmackDown! (first broadcast on April 29, 1999), now called WWE SmackDown and produced by World Wrestling Entertainment; and * the phrase lay (or put) the smack down (“to start a fight”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.