whack

1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wak 

whacked; whacking; whacks

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike with a smart or resounding blow

whack the ball

b

: to cut with or as if with a whack : chop

2

chiefly British : to get the better of : defeat

3

slang : murder, kill

intransitive verb

: to strike a smart or resounding blow

whacker noun

whack

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a smart or resounding blow

also : the sound of or as if of such a blow

b

: a critical attack

2

: portion, share

3

: condition, state

4

a

: an opportunity or attempt to do something

take a whack at it

b

: a single action or occasion

borrowed $50 all at one whack

Phrases

out of whack

1

: out of proper order or shape

threw his knee out of whack

2

: not in accord

feeling out of whack with her contemporaries

—S. E. Rubin

Synonyms

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whale
• zap

Noun

• assay [archaic]
• attempt
• bash [chiefly British]
• bid
• crack
• endeavor
• essay
• fling
• go
• offer
• pass
• shot
• stab
• trial
• try
• whirl

Examples of whack in a Sentence

Verb

She whacked the piñata with a stick.

The old man lifted his cane and whacked the mugger on the head.

They were whacking through the jungle with their machetes.

He got whacked by mobsters.

Noun

The pile of books hit the floor with a whack.

took a whack at solving the math problem

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Designed to navigate both narrow nooks and wide swaths of body hair, these tools require less prep than razor-shaving, can be used wet or dry, and whack weeds with ease. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 1 Mar. 2025

The Zipper Carry-on Max proved very durable in our tests, showing only minor superficial scuffs and no dents at all after whacking it with a metal baseball bat and shoving it multiple times off a table while fully packed. —Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025

Noun

Darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock out of whack — which means daylight saving time can usher in sleep trouble for weeks or longer. —Lauran Neergaard, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025

Meanwhile, your hormones and vitamin levels are all out of whack. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably imitative of the sound of a blow

First Known Use

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing whack

• (all) in one whack
• fair whack
• full whack
• have/take a whack at
• out of whack
• top whack
• whack off
• whack up

Rhymes for whack

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• flak
• hack
• jack
• knack
• lac
• lack

Kids Definition

whack

1 of 2 verb

ˈhwak 

ˈwak

: to hit or cut with a hard noisy blow

whacked the ball into left field

whacker noun

whack

2 of 2 noun

1

: a hard noisy blow

also : its sound

2

: try entry 2, attempt

take a whack at it