# wham

/ˈhwæm/ (US) · /wˈæm/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wham
Updated: 2026-05-26

## Definition

a sudden, loud, and forceful hit or blow. You use it to describe a sound or a physical impact that is very strong and unexpected.

For teachers: a sudden, forceful impact or blow, typically producing a loud sound.

## Examples

- The door slammed with a loud wham.
- The car hit the wall with a loud wham, causing the alarm to go off immediately.
- The sudden wham of the door echoed through the empty hallway, startling the few people who were still working late in the office.

---

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.