whammy
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈhwæmi// UK //wˈæmi// wham·my
n. a sudden, bad event or a very lucky break. It is often used when something happens that you did not expect at all.
n. an unexpected, often significant, event or consequence. Frequently used in the phrase 'whammy' to describe a sudden stroke of luck or a sudden misfortune.
I didn't expect that promotion to be a whammy.
The sudden drop in interest rates was a real whammy for the housing market.
While the initial investment seemed sound, the subsequent regulatory changes proved to be a whammy that the firm was ill-prepared to handle.
From wham + -y.