smack
noun · verb · adverb
Simple meaning
A distinct flavor.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
smakIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsmæk
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.
noun
A distinct flavor, especially if slight.
A slight trace of something; a smattering.
A small sailing vessel, commonly rigged as a sloop, used chiefly in the coasting and fishing trade and often called a fishing smack
A sailing ship (usually rigged like a sloop or cutter) used in fishing and sailing along the coast
A blow from a flat object (as an open hand)
An enthusiastic kiss
verb
transitive
To get the flavor of.
Have a distinctive or characteristic taste
intransitive
To have a particular taste; used with of.
intransitive
To indicate or suggest something; used with of.
To slap or hit someone.
To wetly separate the lips, making a noise, after tasting something or in expectation of a treat.
adverb
As if with a smack or slap; smartly; sharply.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A distinct flavor, especially if slight.
Used this way, smack is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use smack
- “The teacher smacked the student who had misbehaved.”verb
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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.
The act of smacking something.
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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.