What does "whack" mean?
The sound of a heavy strike.
Whack
/wæk/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The sound of a heavy strike.
- Grammar: whack is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: approach, assay, attempt, bad.
- Useful contrasts: avoid, dink, evade.
- Usage evidence: My dad thinks my boyfriend is a real whack job.
How to use "whack"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "whack" 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 "whack" 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 "whack" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "whack" 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 "whack" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang 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 "approach" 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 "whack", 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 The sound of a heavy strike.
- 2 the act of hitting vigorously wordnet
- 3 The strike itself.
"Saka was a threat from the first whistle; Ukraine rightly wary of him and dishing out the usual whacks."
- 4 the sound made by a sharp swift blow wordnet
- 5 The stroke itself, regardless of its successful impact.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 An attempt, a chance, a turn, a go, originally an attempt to beat someone or something. US, slang
"C'mon. Take a whack at it."
- 7 A share, a portion, especially a full share or large portion. dated
"I don’t care about much wine afterwards—I take my whack at dinner—I mean my share, you know; and when I have had as much as I want I toddle up to tea."
- 8 A whack-up: a division of an amount into separate whacks, a divvying up. obsolete
- 9 A deal, an agreement. US, obsolete
""I'll stay if you will." "Good—that's a whack.""
- 10 PCP, phencyclidine (as also wack). dated
- 11 The backslash, ⟨ \ ⟩. slang
"del c:\docs\readme.txt Delete c colon whack docs whack readme dot text."
- 12 Alternative spelling of wack (“annoyingly or disappointingly bad”) alt-of, alternative, slang
Verb
- 1 To hit, slap or strike.
"The bat whacked the baseball."
- 2 strike hard wordnet
- 3 To assassinate, bump off. slang
"Niko Bellic: So you want me to talk to him? / Jimmy Pegorino: I want you to whack him! And after that I want you to kill all the other rats I surround myself with..."
- 4 To share or parcel out (often with up). slang, transitive
"to whack the spoils of a robbery"
- 5 To beat convincingly; to thrash.
"The fidgety Majors were whacked 9-1 by the Kitchener Panthers at Couch and now trail their rivals 2-0 in an increasingly uncomfortable best-of-seven Intercounty Baseball League first-round series."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To surpass; to better. UK
"Recently I was over in Ireland, I love the place, proper fishing, can't whack it!"
- 7 To attempt something despite not knowing how to do it; to take on a task spontaneously and carelessly without planning. Singapore, Singlish
"Miss Loi always tells her students not to anyhow whack, stay calm and know thy approach before attempting each question."
- 8 To eat something hurriedly. Singapore, Singlish
Adjective
- 1 Alternative spelling of wack (“annoyingly or disappointingly bad”). alt-of, alternative
"That's whack, yo!"
Example
"My dad thinks my boyfriend is a real whack job."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "whack"?
Common synonyms include: approach, assay, attempt, bad, bam, bang.
How do you use "whack" in a sentence?
My dad thinks my boyfriend is a real whack job.
How do you pronounce "whack"?
Pronounced /wæk/.
Etymology
Uncertain. Originally Scottish; probably onomatopoeic, but compare Middle English thakken, from Old English þaccian (whence Modern thwack by conflation with whack). Sense 6 of the verb is likely a semantic loan from Malay hentam (“to strike; to do something carelessly”).