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

For domestic trips, Kayak says this hacker fare strategy can save money on flights to Boston, Denver, Miami, Orlando, and Chicago. — Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

The hacker specifically claimed there was no effective rate limiting or web application firewall protection against the activity. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Browsers have become a common target of hackers looking to steal sensitive information, especially in hybrid work environments. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026

Not just the supposedly existential risk that AI leaders started recently claiming required a slowdown, but also risks from bad actors like hackers or terrorists wielding AI to attack either country’s infrastructure. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 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