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

• 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

The rapid advances of AI and the ceaseless scheming of cybercriminals and hackers make cyber startups one of the most dynamic and innovative sectors of the tech industry, Chahal says. —Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025

Developers now look for weak spots before hackers can find them, closing gaps with regular updates and smarter monitoring. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

Protecting one’s data is crucial at a time when hackers, data breaches, and other cybersecurity threats are more prevalent than ever. —Jason Phillips, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025

After gaining control, the hackers set up inbox rules to delete Workday notifications, so the victims do not see alerts about changes. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025

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