hacker

noun

hack·​er ˈha-kər 

1

: one that hacks

2

: a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity

a tennis hacker

3

: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer

4

: a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system

Synonyms of hacker

• cracker
• cyberpunk
• geek

Examples of hacker in a Sentence

My friends and I have been playing golf for years, but we're still just a bunch of hackers.

the company's security experts spent days trying to figure out how a hacker could have gotten past the firewall

Recent Examples on the Web

However, a hacker hijacked the account of Axios' lead developer and quietly introduced two malicious software versions on Monday night, according to cybersecurity vendor StepSecurity. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026

While these capabilities are intended to help companies detect and fix flaws, they could also be weaponized by hackers, including nation-states, to find and exploit vulnerabilities. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026

The hackers never demanded a ransom, suggesting they were motivated by destruction and chaos, not profit. —ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026

Genevieve Price considers herself a great flight hacker. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hacker

• acker
• backer
• blacker
• cracker
• lacquer
• packer
• slacker
• stacker
• thacker
• tracker
• attacker
• backpacker

Kids Definition

hacker

noun

hack·​er ˈhak-ər 

1

: one that hacks

2

: a person who is unskilled at a particular activity

3

: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer

4

: a person who illegally gains access to a computer system