whack
whack Lexical Profile
whack Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sharp, resounding blow, or the sound made by such an impact.
"He gave the dusty rug a firm whack with a wooden paddle to clean it."
Proper working order, balance, or alignment (used primarily in the phrase 'out of whack').
"Traveling across several time zones threw my sleep schedule completely out of whack."
An attempt or try at doing something (informal).
"After struggling with the math puzzle, she let her brother take a whack at solving it."
British A share, portion, or contribution (informal).
"Every partner in the small business agreed to pay their fair whack of the operating expenses."
• verb
To strike or hit forcefully with a sharp, resounding blow.
"The gardener had to whack the overgrown weeds back from the garden path."
North American To murder or assassinate someone (slang).
"In the crime novel, the detective uncovers a plot by the syndicate to whack a key informant."
British To place, put, or thrust something roughly or casually into position (informal).
"Just whack the vegetables into the roasting pan and put them in the oven."
To divide or share something into portions (informal, usually followed by 'up').
"The winners agreed to whack up the prize money equally among the team members."
• adjective
Of poor quality, inferior, unfair, or eccentric (informal slang, often spelled 'wack').
"The rules for the tournament were completely whack and favored the home team."
• interjection
Used to imitate or represent the sharp sound of a forceful blow or impact.
"Whack! The batter drove the baseball high into the bleachers."
• adverb
With a sudden, sharp, or heavy blow.
"The hockey puck went whack against the protective glass."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary slang, the adjective meaning 'bad' or 'eccentric' is frequently spelled 'wack', though 'whack' remains a common variant; do not confuse it with the homophone 'wax'.
• Rhymes for whack
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 18th century (originally in Scottish and northern English dialects), the word is of imitative origin, coined to mimic the sharp, resounding sound of a heavy blow.