# slapping

/ˈsɫæpɪŋ/ (US) · /slˈæpɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slapping
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. hitting with a flat hand

verb · CEFR B1

hitting something or someone with the flat part of your hand.

For teachers: the act of striking with the palm of the hand or a flat object; often used as a gerund to describe the physical action.

- The sound of waves slapping against the side of the boat kept me awake.
- The rhythmic slapping of the waves against the wooden hull provided a steady, hypnotic backdrop to the evening's conversation.

### 2. the act of hitting

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

the action of hitting someone with an open hand.

For teachers: a physical strike delivered with the palm; can also refer to a metaphorical punishment or 'slap on the wrist'.

- He deserved a slapping for being so rude to the waiter.
- The coach gave the player a verbal slapping after the team's third consecutive loss due to poor discipline.

Usage: Often used with 'give someone a...'

Teaching tip: In British English, 'a slapping' can imply a physical beating or a very harsh scolding.

### 3. excellent or impressive

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

used to describe something that is very good, especially food that tastes great or music with a strong beat.

For teachers: a slang term used to denote high quality, particularly in the context of flavourful food or music with impactful production.

- This burger is absolutely slapping; we have to come back here.
- The bassline on this track is slapping, making it an instant favourite for the club scene this summer.

Usage: Usually follows the verb 'to be'.

Teaching tip: This is very modern slang. While it originally referred to music (the 'slap' of the bass), it is now most commonly used by younger speakers to describe delicious food.

### 4. very large

adjective · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

unusually large or impressive in size.

For teachers: denoting a significant or impressive size; often used for emphasis in informal descriptions.

- They served us a slapping great portion of chips with our meal.
- He managed to secure a slapping great discount on the car by negotiating for over an hour.

Usage: Often used before another adjective like 'great' or 'big'.

Teaching tip: This is a somewhat dated British colloquialism, often replaced by 'whopping' in modern speech.

## Examples

- This new song is absolutely slapping.
- We went to that new taco spot downtown last night and the food was slapping.
- The producer spent weeks perfecting the bassline until the track was finally slapping, ensuring it would be a hit in the clubs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.