whack

Meaning

Noun

1. The sound of a heavy strike.
2. The strike itself.
3. The stroke itself, regardless of its successful impact.
4. (US, slang) An attempt, a chance, a turn, a go, originally an attempt to beat someone or something.
5. (dated) A share, a portion, especially a full share or large portion.
6. (obsolete) A whack-up: a division of an amount into separate whacks, a divvying up.
7. (US, obsolete) A deal, an agreement.
8. (dated) PCP, phencyclidine (as also wack).
9. (slang) The backslash, ⟨ \ ⟩.
10. (alt-of, alternative, slang) Alternative spelling of wack (“annoyingly or disappointingly bad”)

Verb

1. To hit, slap or strike.
2. (slang) To assassinate, bump off.
3. (slang, transitive) To share or parcel out (often with up).
4. To beat convincingly; to thrash.
5. (UK) To surpass; to better.
6. (Singapore, Singlish) To attempt something despite not knowing how to do it; to take on a task spontaneously and carelessly without planning.
7. (Singapore, Singlish) To eat something hurriedly.

Adj

Alternative spelling of wack (“annoyingly or disappointingly bad”).

Synonyms

smack

strike

knock

blow

thwack

hit

wallop

bang

slap

bash

belt

whang

thump

slam

whop

wham

stroke

smite

pelt

smash

cudgel

swipe

beat

thrash

bop

jolt

slug

hit hard

belabour

bump

slog

attack

👊

clobber

impact

whomp

rap

biff

chop

punch

👊

clout

sock

strike down

strike out

swig

swing

tan

thud

trial

visit

whip

Translations

frapper

coup

afranselen

colpire

percossa

çarpmak

schlagen

Schlag

golpe

golpear

colpo

fesser

percuotere

χαστούκι

χαστουκίζω

Pronounced as (IPA)

/wæk/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle English: thakken

Cognate with Old English: þaccian

In summary

Uncertain. Originally Scottish; probably onomatopoeic, but compare Middle English thakken, from Old English þaccian (whence Modern thwack by conflation with whack). Sense 6 of the verb is likely a semantic loan from Malay hentam (“to strike; to do something carelessly”).