whip
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The same instrument used to strike a person or animal for corporal punishment or torture.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
wipIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈwɪp
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
The same instrument used to strike a person or animal for corporal punishment or torture.
A lash; a pliant, flexible instrument, such as a rod (commonly of cane or rattan) or a plaited or braided rope or thong (commonly of leather) used to create a sharp "crack" sound for directing or herding animals.
An instrument with a handle and a flexible lash that is used for whipping
A dessert made of sugar and stiffly beaten egg whites or cream and usually flavored with fruit
Any of various pieces that operate with a quick vibratory motion
A spring in certain electrical devices for making a circuit
verb
Defeat thoroughly
transitiveby extension
To hit with any flexible object.
To sew lightly; specifically, to form (a fabric) into gathers by loosely overcasting the rolled edge and drawing up the thread.
transitive
To throw or kick an object at a high velocity.
transitive
To move (something) very fast; often with up, out, etc.
Thrash about flexibly in the manner of a whiplash
“The tall grass whipped in the wind.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The same instrument used to strike a person or animal for corporal punishment or torture.
Used this way, whip is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It carries more force than its gentler alternatives. It turns up most in personal or emotional discussion and literature or storytelling contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Strong
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Where it naturally appears
- Personal/emotional discussion
- Literature/storytelling
Nearby words
- trounce , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use whip
- “The whip raised a red welt.”noun
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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.
Beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A top that is spun by whipping.
Prepare or cook quickly or hastily.
Cream that has been beaten until light and fluffy.
Huntsman's assistant in managing the hounds.
Someone who is punished for the errors of others.
Cream that has enough butterfat (30% to 36%) to be whipped.
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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.