slap

1 of 4

verb

slapped; slapping

transitive verb

1
a
: to strike sharply with or as if with the open hand
b
: to cause to strike with a motion or sound like that of a blow with the open hand
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped on a coat of paint
3
: to subject to a penalty
usually used with with
slapped him with a $10 fine
4
: to assail verbally : insult

slap

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a blow with the open hand
b
: a quick sharp blow
2
: a noise like that of a slap
3

slap

3 of 4

adverb

slap

4 of 4

noun (2)

dialectal British
Phrases
slap on the wrist
: a gentle usually ineffectual reprimand

Examples of slap in a Sentence

Verb She slapped him across the face. He slapped me on the back and said “Good job!”. He called the dog by slapping his hand against his thigh. Waves were slapping against the side of the boat. Gentle waves slapped the side of the raft. Adverb I walked slap into the post.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Last month, when the committee slapped Harvard with a subpoena – the first time the legislative body has issued such a demand to a university – Sidechat played a big role in that request. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 In a closed door meeting, Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, however, was unsuccessful in getting her colleagues to slap him with a vote of no confidence, and the controversy subsided. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 For the cover of the March 11, 2024, issue, the cartoonist Barry Blitt transposed the rivalry between the blockbuster films of 2023 onto the moment when, during the 2022 Oscars, the actor Will Smith walked onstage to slap the comedian Chris Rock across the face. Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The former President, who famously used his office’s authority to unilaterally slap import duties on foreign steel under the pretense of national security, is notoriously tough on China. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Gomez waits for a beat, letting the line sink in, before slapping her forehead with her hand and smiling in response to the corniness of it all. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 The team also noticed preferences for specific antics among species: Chimpanzees enjoyed slapping adults that were falling asleep, orangutans especially liked to pull hair and gorillas often kept it simple by shoving others. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Torn up over her first real lesbian love, McCullers confessed her feelings to Reeves, who, to his great discredit, slapped her across the face. Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 At times, the ocean was calm, the only sound coming from salt water rhythmically slapping the sides of the small Newport Coastal Adventure inflatable boat. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
For some producers and hosts, a boring Oscars is far preferable to a bad one, and especially better than a trainwreck of a ceremony with say a slap or a wrong best picture winner announced. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 The line about the autoimmune disorder was, in fact, inspired by the infamous Oscars slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock, after Rock insulted Jada Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Violence includes gun use (threats, shooting), bloody wounds, violent news footage, a scene of a couple arguing (with a slap), someone being kicked in the face and stomach, and more. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Following the slap heard ‘round the world, The Rock doubled-down on his villainy with a nostalgic heel promo for a sellout crowd in Salt Lake City, UT. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 After falling behind 1-0 early, the Panthers tied the game on a Brandon Montour slap shot from the point immediately after an offensive zone faceoff 7:01 into the first period. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2024 DeSantis' slap at Haley A major obstacle to DeSantis' attempt to catch up to Trump: The prospect that Haley, who is in in a close third, will cut into his support in Iowa. USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 The handshakes, back slaps and congratulatory text messages are over. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 The United States’ top diplomat returned home from his fifth wartime trip to the Middle East with a virtual slap in the face from Israel’s leader. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

akin to Low German slapp, noun blow

Adverb

probably from Low German slapp, from slapp, noun

Noun (2)

Middle English slop, from Middle Dutch; akin to Middle Dutch slippen to slip

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adverb

1672, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slap

Cite this Entry

“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slap. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slap

1 of 3 noun
1
: a quick sharp blow especially with the open hand
2
: a noise like that of a slap

slap

2 of 3 verb
slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike with or as if with the open hand
b
: to make a sound like that of slapping
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped the book down on the desk

slap

3 of 3 adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on slap

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