Definition

1. Verb:
   • To strike or hit something with great force and a loud, sudden sound: "wham" describes the action of delivering a powerful, impactful blow, often resulting in a distinct noise upon contact. It emphasizes both the intensity of the impact and its abruptness.
   • To move or occur with sudden, forceful impact: "wham" can also describe something moving and colliding with great force, or an event happening suddenly and powerfully.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • He whammed the ball with the bat, sending it over the fence.
  • The door whammed shut in the strong wind.
  • The news of the layoffs whammed into the staff, leaving them stunned.

Advanced Usage

• "wham bam": An informal phrase suggesting something is done very quickly, forcefully, and with little ceremony.
  • He fixed the problem with a wham bam approach, but I'm not sure it will last.

Variants and Related Words

• Whammy (noun): A powerful, often negative, blow or influence.
  • The new tax was a double whammy for small businesses.
• Whack (verb): A synonym meaning to hit forcefully. (Note: This is a related word, not a variant of "wham" itself).

Synonyms

• Smash: To break or hit violently.
• Slam: To shut or hit with great force.
• Bang: To hit or strike noisily.
• Wallop: To hit very hard.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "wham" is not typically used in standard phrasal verb constructions. Its usage is generally as a standalone verb.)

Related Idioms

• Wham, bam, thank you ma'am: A very informal, often derogatory idiom describing something done hastily and with little care or feeling, especially a sexual encounter.
  • Their relationship wasn't serious; it was just a wham, bam, thank you ma'am kind of thing.

Verb

1. hit hard
   • The teacher whacked the boy