whack

Everyday

1. To hit something or someone hard, often with a stick or hand. tree →
2. A hard hit, or the sound of it. tree →
3. (informal) A share or amount of something, as in «pay your whack». tree →
4. (informal) «Have a whack at it» means have a try. tree →
5. (slang) «Whacked» or «whacked out» means very tired. tree →
6. (slang, US) «Out of whack» means not working properly. tree →

In the lessons

In stories it gives a loud, comic hitting action. In everyday talk, «out of whack» means something is broken or wrong, and «I'm whacked» means very tired. Hitting people is not okay; you whack a ball, a nail or a piñata.

Examples

• He whacked the ball over the fence. tree →
• The piñata burst open with one big whack. tree →
• Give it a whack, it might start working. tree →
• I'll have a whack at the puzzle. tree →
• My sleep is all out of whack after the holiday. tree →
• I'm completely whacked after the swimming race. tree →
• Everyone paid their whack for the pizza. tree →
• Instead he gave them each a hard whack over the head with it and sent them home. tree →

Note

Informal word. The «h» is silent for most speakers: «wack». «Wack» (slang, US) without h means bad or silly, a different word. Hitting people or animals hurts; say «whack» for things.