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 Web
Mia Sato, The Verge, 30 Oct. 2024
City of Troy has an odd, standout 9th-place run smack in the middle of his six-win career that’s more than a little reminiscent of Fierceness’ 15th-place showing in the Kentucky Derby.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 9 Nov. 2024
Director Bruce Goodison applies the tension well in the first two thirds of this efficient Shudder release, but then the plot smacks into a dead-end in its final act.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2024
But on that day in Tokyo, as skating made its Olympic debut beneath a fiery sun, Huston ran smack into one of the undeniable truths of his sport.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for smack 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
But these ads are running smack dab in the middle of a baseball game that is watched by families and kids.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 30 Oct. 2024
City of Troy has an odd, standout 9th-place run smack in the middle of his six-win career that’s more than a little reminiscent of Fierceness’ 15th-place showing in the Kentucky Derby.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Last night Prospect Park, smack in the middle of Brooklyn, caught fire.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 9 Nov. 2024
Director Bruce Goodison applies the tension well in the first two thirds of this efficient Shudder release, but then the plot smacks into a dead-end in its final act.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Location 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
But on that day in Tokyo, as skating made its Olympic debut beneath a fiery sun, Huston ran smack into one of the undeniable truths of his sport.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for smack
Articles Related to smack
Dictionary Entries Near smack
Cite this Entry
“Smack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smack. Accessed 17 Nov. 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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