hack
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Fix a computer program piecemeal until it works.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
hakIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈhæk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
computing
Fix a computer program piecemeal until it works
“I'm not very good at hacking but I'll give it my best.”
transitive
To chop or cut down in a rough manner.
computing
To make a quick code change to patch a computer program, often one that, while being effective, is inelegant or makes the program harder to maintain.
To withstand or put up with a difficult situation.
To strike in a frantic movement.
transitive
To strike lightly as part of tapotement massage.
noun
A tool (as a hoe or pick or mattock) used for breaking up the surface of the soil
A tool for chopping.
A gouge or notch made by such a blow.
figuratively
A try, an attempt.
A kick on the shins in football of any type.
baseball
A swing of the bat at a pitched ball by the batter, particularly a choppy, ungraceful one that misses the ball such as at a fastball.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Fix a computer program piecemeal until it works
Used this way, hack is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a computing use: it carries a fixed technical meaning inside software and systems work.
“I'm not very good at hacking but I'll give it my best.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technology
- Technical/specialist writing
- Business/professional
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use hack
- “The patient with emphysema is hacking all day.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Someone who plays golf poorly.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Someone who drives a taxi for a living.
Fix a computer program piecemeal until it works.
Saw used with one hand for cutting metal.
A mediocre and disdained writer.
A mediocre and disdained writer.
A politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “hack” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.