whack
pronunciation
How to pronounce whack in British English:
UK [wæk]
How to pronounce whack in American English:
US [hwæk, wæk]
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- Noun:
- the sound made by a sharp swift blow
- the act of hitting vigorously
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- Verb:
- hit hard
Word Origin
- whack (v.)
- "to strike sharply," 1719, probably of imitative origin. The noun is from 1737. The word in out of whack (1885) is perhaps the slang meaning "share, just portion" (1785), which may be from the notion of the blow that divides, or the rap of the auctioneer's hammer. To have (or take) a whack at something "make an attempt" is from 1891. Related: Whacked; whacking. Whacked out is from 1969.
Example
- 1. You 're acting out of whack !
- 2. That is a concern because wages in some euro-area countries look dangerously out of whack .
- 3. You deserve a whack !
- 4. You 're going to whack me ?
- 5. Mr. stevens , may I borrow your lawn mower ? Mine just went out of whack .