whiplash

noun

whip·​lash ˈ(h)wip-ˌlash 

1

: the lash of a whip

2

: something resembling a blow from a whip

the whiplash of fear

—R. S. Banay

3

: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck from the rear by another vehicle)

Examples of whiplash in a Sentence

He got whiplash when his car was rear-ended.

Recent Examples on the Web

That statement is laced with whiplash for anyone who has been following Osaka’s return to tennis since early 2024. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 May 2025

Tired of the whiplash that came with shooting his previous series Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals back east, Danny McBride and his wife formally relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, with their two sons in 2017. —Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025

While filming On Swift Horses, Diego Calva experienced some whiplash that was not equestrian-related. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 3 May 2025

At the heart of this tumult is Washington, D.C., once the steward of global order, now a source of policy whiplash. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for whiplash

• backlash
• chumash
• eyelash
• moustache
• mustache
• noncash
• potash
• rehash
• ash
• bash
• brash
• cache

Kids Definition

whiplash

noun

whip·​lash -ˌlash 

1

: the lash of a whip

2

: injury resulting from a sudden sharp jerking movement of the head and neck (as of a person in a car that is struck from behind by another car)

Medical Definition

whiplash

noun

whip·​lash ˈhwip-ˌlash, ˈwip- 

: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck head-on or from the rear by another vehicle)