whack
C1Informal, colloquial
Definition
Meaning
To hit or strike something sharply and forcefully.
A sharp, resounding blow; also used informally to mean a share, a large amount, an attempt, or a person who is strange or unreliable (e.g., "a bit of a whack").
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can denote either the action of hitting or the sound produced. The noun form covers a wider range of informal, extended meanings.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term similarly. The meaning 'share' (e.g., "his whack of the profits") and 'attempt' (e.g., "have a whack at it") are common in both, though perhaps slightly more prevalent in UK English. The adjective 'out of whack' (meaning malfunctioning or out of alignment) is primarily American.
Connotations
Informal, often slightly playful or humorous in tone, unless referring to actual violence.
Frequency
Common in spoken informal English. More frequent in North American English than in UK English according to corpus data.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] whack [Object][Subject] whack [Object] with [Instrument][Subject] take/have a whack at [Object/Activity][Subject] is out of whackVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “out of whack”
- “have a whack at something”
- “top whack”
- “whack-a-mole (problem/situation)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The sudden policy change threw the entire quarterly plan out of whack."
Academic
Rarely used in formal academic writing.
Everyday
"Just give it a whack with the hammer to loosen it."
Technical
Not typically used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He whacked the ball with the cricket bat.
- I'll just whack it in the oven for twenty minutes.
American English
- She whacked the piñata until it broke.
- Can you whack the budget numbers into the spreadsheet?
adverb
British English
- Rarely used as an adverb. Potentially in very informal speech: "He ran whack into the wall."
American English
- Rarely used as an adverb. See British example.
adjective
British English
- The old printer is completely out of whack again. (from US influence)
- He paid the top whack price for those concert tickets.
American English
- My sleep schedule is totally out of whack after the trip.
- That's a whack idea, let's not do it. (slang: bad)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The boy whacked the tree with a stick.
- I heard a loud 'whack!' from the next room.
- Give the rug a good whack to get the dust out.
- He had a whack at fixing the bike, but it's still broken.
- The sudden market shift threw our calculations out of whack.
- Everyone agreed to pay their fair whack of the bill.
- Dealing with customer complaints can feel like a game of whack-a-mole—solve one, and another pops up.
- The new evidence whacked a huge hole in the prosecution's argument.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the sound 'WHACK!' – it's short, sharp, and sounds like a hit. The 'wh-' can remind you of a whip cracking.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROBLEMS ARE PHYSICAL OBSTRUCTIONS TO BE HIT ("Let me have a whack at that math problem").
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating "have a whack at it" as "ударить его". The idiom means "попробовать сделать что-либо".
- "Out of whack" does not relate to violence; it means "расстроенный, неисправный, не в порядке".
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'whack' (a hit) with 'wack' (slang for 'bad' or 'weird'). 'Wack' is an adjective, not a verb.
- Using in formal writing where 'strike' or 'hit' would be more appropriate.
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'have a whack at it', what does 'whack' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'whack' is primarily informal and colloquial. Use 'strike', 'hit', or 'share' in formal contexts.
'Whack' is a verb/noun meaning to hit or a blow. 'Wack' (often spelled 'whack' in UK slang) is an adjective meaning 'bad' or 'unfair' (e.g., "That's wack"). They are different words.
It originated in American English but is now understood and used in many varieties of English. It means not working correctly or out of alignment.
Yes, in very informal, often criminal or violent slang (e.g., "He got whacked by the mob"). This usage is not appropriate for general conversation.
Explore