whack
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to hit something or someone very hard, often with a loud noise.
v.to strike something with a heavy, forceful blow. Transitive — requires a direct object.
Simple“He whacked the ball with his racket and it flew over the fence.”
In context“The carpenter whacked the stubborn wooden peg with a mallet until it finally sat flush against the beam.”
UsageOften used with 'with' to indicate the instrument used for hitting.
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to kill someone, especially in a planned way by a criminal group.
v.to assassinate or murder someone, typically within the context of organised crime.
Simple“In the movie, the mob boss ordered his men to whack the witness.”
In context“The screenplay depicts a gritty underworld where rivals are whacked over minor territorial disputes.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is almost exclusively found in crime fiction, films, and news reports about the mafia.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a try or a chance at doing something.
n.an attempt, turn, or opportunity to perform a task. Usually used in the phrase 'have a whack at'.
Simple“I've never tried fixing a sink before, but I'll have a whack at it.”
In context“After several experts failed to solve the puzzle, the intern decided to take a whack at it during her lunch break.”
UsageCommonly appears in the idiomatic construction 'take a whack at' or 'have a whack at'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the sound or act of hitting something hard.
n.the physical act of a forceful strike or the resonant sound produced by such an impact.
Simple“The book fell off the shelf with a loud whack on the floor.”
In context“The sudden whack of the branch against the windowpane startled everyone in the silent library.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
n.the name for the backslash symbol (\) used in computer paths.
n.a verbal name for the backslash character (\), frequently used when dictating file paths or code.
Simple“To find the file, type C whack users whack documents.”
In context“The administrator dictated the server path as 'double-whack production-one' to ensure the technician typed the backslashes correctly.”
Teacher's tipThis is jargon used by IT professionals to save time when speaking; 'backslash' is the standard term.
Synonymsbackslash - 06 C1 Advanced
adj.very bad, unfair, or disappointing.
adj.of poor quality, contemptible, or socially unacceptable. Often spelled 'wack' but sometimes 'whack'.
Simple“That new rule at school is totally whack.”
In context“The fans complained that the concert was whack because the lead singer forgot half the lyrics.”
Teacher's tipWhile 'wack' is the more common spelling for this adjective, 'whack' is a frequent variant in informal writing.
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.