whiplash

noun

whip·​lash ˈ(h)wip-ˌlash 

1

: the lash of a whip

2

: something resembling a blow from a whip

the whiplash of fear

—R. S. Banay

3

: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck from the rear by another vehicle)

Examples of whiplash in a Sentence

He got whiplash when his car was rear-ended.

Recent Examples on the Web

Interannual whiplash, occurring on a 12-month timescale, had risen between 8 and 31 percent. —Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025

Zoom in: In making their conclusions, World Weather Attribution researchers zeroed in on the high winds; weather whiplash from unusually wet to extremely dry conditions preceding the fires; and long-term trends. —Andrew Freedman, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025

Amid that frenzy, the actress, producer, mother of three, and grandmother is dealing with whiplash from watching all of the back-and-forth squabbling between the ladies on the latest season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 28 Jan. 2025

The government’s emergency request came after a series of whiplash rulings at the conservative-leaning 5th Circuit, which eventually kept in place a federal district judge’s ruling blocking the new law until the government’s full appeal is resolved. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

whiplash

noun

whip·​lash -ˌlash 

1

: the lash of a whip

2

: injury resulting from a sudden sharp jerking movement of the head and neck (as of a person in a car that is struck from behind by another car)

Medical Definition

whiplash

noun

whip·​lash ˈhwip-ˌlash, ˈwip- 

: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck head-on or from the rear by another vehicle)