whiplash
whiplash Lexical Profile
whiplash Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A neck injury caused by a sudden, forceful jerking forward or backward of the head, commonly occurring in rear-end motor vehicle collisions.
"The driver was treated for minor whiplash after her car was struck from behind at the traffic light."
A sudden, jarring change or reversal of circumstances, emotions, or events that causes disorientation or shock.
"Investors experienced financial whiplash as the stock market plunged and then rebounded within a single afternoon."
The flexible cord or thong at the end of a whip, or a quick, sharp stroke made with it.
"The coachman snapped the whiplash above the horses to signal the start of the journey."
• verb
To jerk, snap, or cause to move back and forth suddenly and sharply like the lash of a whip.
"The fierce coastal wind whiplashed the branches of the palm trees against the windowpanes."
To subject to sudden, jarring shifts or reversals in policy, mood, or circumstance.
"Rapidly shifting trade tariffs whiplashed small business owners who struggled to plan their annual budgets."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 16th century as a compound of 'whip' and 'lash' to denote the flexible cord of a whip. The medical sense describing a neck injury caused by sudden, jerking motion was introduced in the 1920s.