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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
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Tariffs can have a triple whammy, adding to worries about inflation, growth and denting confidence.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
The rest of the portfolio Apple : The iPhone maker is experiencing a triple whammy of bad news.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
Hellraiser - February 1 The 1987 horror classic forms part of a quadruple whammy as four Hellraiser movies arrive on Shudder on February 1.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whammy. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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