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

In November 2025, cybersecurity firm Proofpoint released a report on the same topic, adding that hackers were mainly going after trucking and logistics firms, mainly in the food and beverage industry. —Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 2 May 2026

How hackers may have accessed ADT systems This breach may have started with a phone call. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026

The wealthy but suddenly unmoored LIV golfers have been left to scramble like a weekend hacker trying to salvage a bogey after chipping into a sand trap. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

If the operation fails, the hackers will look to sell their data to any willing buyers. —Jarrod Wardwell, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 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