whammy

noun

wham·my ˈ(h)wa-mē

plural whammies

Synonyms of whammy next

: a supernatural power bringing bad luck

: a magic curse or spell : jinx, hex

: a potent force or attack

specifically : a paralyzing or lethal blow

Did you know?

The origin of whammy is not entirely certain, but it is assumed to have been created by combining wham (a solid blow) with the whimsical -y ending. The first example of whammy in print occured in 1940, but the word was popularized in the 1950s by the cartoonist Al Capp in the comic strip Li'l Abner. The character Evil-Eye Fleegle could paralyze someone with the sheer power of his gaze. The single whammy was a look with one eye, and the fearsome double whammy used both eyes. As you may know, double whammy has also found a place in English as a general term. It means "a combination of two adverse forces, circumstances, or effects" - in other words, a one-two punch.

Examples of whammy in a Sentence

if you tell anyone about this, I swear I'll put the whammy on you put the whammy on herself by publicly predicting that she would win the tennis tournament

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Prolonged drought, an exceptionally dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds set up a dangerous triple whammy of extreme conditions that have fueled several out-of-control wildfires in the Los Angeles area. —

Denise Chow, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025 For the Middle East’s oil exporters, COVID-19 has been a triple whammy. —

F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2020 The idea to host a triple whammy of a book signing fete came while the pals were holidaying in Sicily this summer. —

Freya Drohan, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024 Wealthy world travelers ready to roster their homes with top tier staff are hitting the same speed bump, with a triple whammy of factors creating the crisis. —

Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whammy