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

Firewalls have long been a favorite network entry point for hackers. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026

If that login still uses a default password, a hacker has a much easier path inside. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026

The plan was to ensure its capabilities wouldn’t make it into the hands of hackers. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 June 2026

Remember last week when Meta’s handy AI chatbot helped hackers breach high-profile Instagram accounts? —Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 12 June 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