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

The hacker was able to take over the employee’s Google Workspace account to breach other Vercel environments. — Ryan Grant, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Ransomware attacks — in which hackers demand a hefty payment to restore hacked systems — also account for a growing share of cyber crimes. — ABC News, 17 July 2026

The hacker also had access to Suno’s customer list, which included emails, phone numbers and Stripe payment details, according to the report. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 15 July 2026

In Die Hard, the California State University Theatre Arts alum portrayed the wisecracking computer hacker Theo, tasked with cracking the code to the Nakatomi vault and gaining access to the $640 million prize inside. — Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 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