1
: characteristic taste or flavor
also
: a perceptible taste or tincture
2
: a small quantity
smacked; smacking; smacks
1
: to have a taste or flavor
2
: to have a trace, vestige, or suggestion
a proposal that smacks of treason
: a sailing ship (such as a sloop or cutter) used chiefly in coasting and fishing
smacked; smacking; smacks
1
: to close and open (lips) noisily and often in rapid succession especially in eating
2
a
: to kiss with or as if with a smack
b
: to strike so as to produce a smack
: to make or give a smack
1
: a quick sharp noise made by rapidly compressing and opening the lips
2
: a loud kiss
3
: a sharp slap or blow
4
US, informal
: boastful or insulting language especially between opponents : smack talk, trash talk
—usually used in the phrase talk smack
The college basketball season is barely a month old, yet the top two candidates for national player of the year are already talking smack.—
Grant Wahl
Grant WahlSynonyms
Noun (1)
- ace
- bit
- crumb
- dab
- dram
- driblet
- glimmer
- hint
- lick
- little
- mite
- nip
- ounce
- particle
- peanuts
- ray
- scintilla
- scruple
- shade
- shadow
- shred
- skosh
- smell
- smidgen
- smidgeon
- smidgin
- smidge
- snap
- soupçon
- spark
- spatter
- speck
- splash
- spot
- sprinkling
- strain
- streak
- suspicion
- tad
- touch
- trace
Verb (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- box
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- clout
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slog
- slug
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun (3)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of smack in a Sentence
Noun (1)
add just a smack of vanilla to the whipped cream and the dessert will be perfect
Verb (2)
he smacked the punching bag one final time before heading to the showers
Noun (3)
the cook gave him a smack on the wrist when he tried to sneak an early taste of the sauce
Adverb
She dropped the book smack in the middle of the table.
The ball hit me smack in the face.
Recent Examples on the WebLucy Feldman, TIME, 29 May 2024
Since part of the mantle and crust are still present today, this suggests that the collision may not have been a head-on smack but a glancing brush that preserved some of Mercury’s original layers.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Staff and Wire Reports, The Mercury News, 25 May 2024
Senior shortstop Andrew Bell smacked a first-pitch single before Chyr drove him in on an RBI-triple.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 25 May 2024
Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
The account of how Yentl came to be falls smack in the middle of Streisand’s new, nearly 1,000-page memoir, My Name Is Barbra, and for that reason alone is an important keystone for understanding her.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for smack 
Noun
Suddenly, we’re deposited on the street, the noise of midday Manhattan a smack in the face.
—Lucy Feldman, TIME, 29 May 2024
Since part of the mantle and crust are still present today, this suggests that the collision may not have been a head-on smack but a glancing brush that preserved some of Mercury’s original layers.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Verb
Just after the half-hour mark, Gotham’s Rose Lavelle smacked a shot from outside the box against the right post, keeping the match scoreless.
—Staff and Wire Reports, The Mercury News, 25 May 2024
Senior shortstop Andrew Bell smacked a first-pitch single before Chyr drove him in on an RBI-triple.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 25 May 2024
Adverb
In Los Angeles and around the country, faith organizations are often on prime urban land that sits smack in the middle of residential neighborhoods or along major corridors.
—Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
The account of how Yentl came to be falls smack in the middle of Streisand’s new, nearly 1,000-page memoir, My Name Is Barbra, and for that reason alone is an important keystone for understanding her.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for smack
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Smack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smack. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smack
1 of 5 noun1
: characteristic or slight taste or flavor
2
: a small quantity
smack
2 of 5 verb
: to have a flavor, trace, or suggestion
smack
3 of 5 verb1
: to close and open the lips noisily especially in eating
2
: to kiss usually loudly
3
: to make or give a sharp slap or blow
smack
4 of 5 noun1
: a quick sharp noise made by rapidly opening and closing the lips
2
: a loud kiss
3
: a sharp slap or blow
smack
5 of 5 adverb
: in a square and sharp manner : directly
hit me smack in the face
Etymology
Noun
Old English smæc "a characteristic taste or flavor"
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