smack

1 of 7

noun (1)

ˈsmak 

1

: characteristic taste or flavor

also : a perceptible taste or tincture

2

: a small quantity

smack

2 of 7

verb (1)

smacked; smacking; smacks

intransitive verb

1

: to have a taste or flavor

2

: to have a trace, vestige, or suggestion

a proposal that smacks of treason

smack

3 of 7

noun (2)

: a sailing ship (such as a sloop or cutter) used chiefly in coasting and fishing

smack

4 of 7

verb (2)

smacked; smacking; smacks

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to make or give a smack

smack

5 of 7

noun (3)

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

smack

6 of 7

adverb

: squarely and sharply : directly

smack in the middle

smack

7 of 7

noun (4)

slang

: heroin

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• splash
• shred
• sprinkling
• glimmer
• touch
• hint
• bit
• speck
• little
• lick
• dab
• tad

Verb (2)

• slap
• hit
• knock
• punch
• bang
• slam
• clap
• whack
• strike
• swipe

Noun (3)

• slap
• blow
• thump
• punch
• hit
• thud
• knock
• whack
• swipe
• poke
• spank
• stroke
• pound
• lick
• bang
• slam
• beat

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 Web

Noun

Fresh and zesty, with a pink grapefruit smack that plays nice with melon, sweet Mandarin and white nectarine flavors. —Lana Bortolot, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025

In a small-town brewery smack dab in the middle of Texas, college students and professors routinely come together to talk politics and religion. —Abigail Ingram, National Review, 28 July 2025

Verb

At one point, an overhead bin popped open and a few unbuckled passengers smacked their head on the ceiling. —Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 6 Aug. 2025

Sitting down with IndieWire, smack in the middle of their getting ready process for World of Wonder’s FYC Pride Event on June 6 in Los Angeles, Season 17 queens Onya Nurve and Jewels Sparkles said the key to harnessing that legacy was having fun. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025

Adverb

Location L'Hôtel du Couvent sits smack in Nice's Old Town, where streets are narrow and buildings look perpetually sunburned. —Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2024

Auroras usually make up either the Northern Lights or the Southern Lights, but they certainly aren't expected to occur smack in the middle. —Tom Brown, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English smæc; akin to Old High German smac taste and probably to Lithuanian smaguris sweet tooth

Noun (2)

Dutch smak or Low German smack

Verb (2)

akin to Middle Dutch smacken to strike

Noun (4)

perhaps from Yiddish shmek sniff, whiff, pinch (of snuff)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1533, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

circa 1960, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing smack

• smack-dab
• smack of
• smack one's lips
• smack talk

Rhymes for smack

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• flak
• hack
• jack
• knack
• lac
• lack

Kids Definition

smack

1 of 5 noun

ˈsmak 

1

: 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 verb

1

: 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 noun

1

: 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"