ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hack

v. · n.
US //ˈhæk// UK //hˈæk// hack
  1. 1 to cut roughly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to cut or chop something in a rough or violent way.

    to chop or cut something with rough, heavy blows, often without precision.

    Example

    He had to hack through the thick bushes to find the hidden path.

    Example

    The explorers spent hours hacking through the dense jungle undergrowth with machetes to reach the ruins.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'at' or 'through'.
  2. 2 to access a computer illegally (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    to use a computer to connect to another person's computer or account without permission.

    to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network by manipulating code or exploiting security vulnerabilities.

    Example

    Someone tried to hack my email account last night.

    Example

    Cybercriminals managed to hack the bank's central server, compromising the personal data of thousands of customers.

    Usage

    Can be used transitively or with the preposition 'into'.
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  1. 3 to manage or tolerate (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to be able to handle a difficult situation or job.

    to withstand or cope with a challenging environment or task; frequently used in the negative.

    Example

    The new job was very stressful, and he just couldn't hack it.

    Example

    Many recruits find the physical intensity of the training program too much to hack and drop out within the first week.

    Teacher's tip

    Commonly used in the fixed phrase 'can't hack it'.
  2. 4 a clever trick or shortcut (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a clever or quick way to do something more easily.

    a clever tip, trick, or efficient workaround that simplifies a task or improves productivity.

    Example

    I found a great kitchen hack for peeling garlic quickly.

    Example

    The article listed several productivity hacks designed to help office workers manage their time more effectively.

    Teacher's tip

    Very common in modern social media contexts like 'life hacks'.
  3. 5 a mediocre writer or worker (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Formal

    a writer or journalist who does boring work just for money, rather than for quality.

    a person, typically a journalist or writer, who produces mediocre or unoriginal work for hire.

    Example

    The book was written by a political hack who didn't care about the truth.

    Example

    Critics dismissed the screenplay as the work of a Hollywood hack who relied on tired clichés and predictable plot twists.

    Teacher's tip

    This is almost always used as an insult to describe someone's professional output.
    • drudge
    • scribbler
Etymology 1

From Middle English hacken, hakken, from Old English haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic hakkōn, from Proto-Germanic hakkōną (“to chop; hoe; hew”), from Proto-Indo-European keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; peg; hook; handle”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian häkje (“to hack”), West Frisian hakje (“to hack”), Dutch hakken (“to chop up; hack”), German hacken (“to chop; hack; hoe”), Danish hakke (“to chop”), Swedish hacka (“to hack; chop”), French hacher (“to chop”). The computer senses date back to at least 1955 when it initially referred to creative problem solving. By 1963, the negative connotations of “black hat” or malicious hacking had become associated with telephone hacking (cf. phreaking).

Etymology 2

Variations of hatch, heck.

Etymology 3

Abbreviation of hackney (“an ordinary horse”), probably from place name Hackney.

Etymology 4

Unclear. Perhaps imitative; compare hock, hawk. Alternatively, perhaps from hack (“chop; do something difficult”) via the idea of doing something (like breathing) or with difficulty.

Etymology 5

From hackysack.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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