1
: characteristic taste or flavor
also
: a perceptible taste or tincture
2
: a small quantity
smacked; smacking; smacks
1
: to have a taste or flavor
2
: to have a trace, vestige, or suggestion
a proposal that smacks of treason
: a sailing ship (such as a sloop or cutter) used chiefly in coasting and fishing
smacked; smacking; smacks
1
: to close and open (lips) noisily and often in rapid succession especially in eating
2
a
: to kiss with or as if with a smack
b
: to strike so as to produce a smack
: to make or give a smack
1
: a quick sharp noise made by rapidly compressing and opening the lips
2
: a loud kiss
3
: a sharp slap or blow
4
US, informal
: boastful or insulting language especially between opponents : smack talk, trash talk
—usually used in the phrase talk smack
The college basketball season is barely a month old, yet the top two candidates for national player of the year are already talking smack.—
Grant Wahl
Grant WahlExamples of smack in a Sentence
Noun (1)
add just a smack of vanilla to the whipped cream and the dessert will be perfect
Verb (2)
he smacked the punching bag one final time before heading to the showers
Noun (3)
the cook gave him a smack on the wrist when he tried to sneak an early taste of the sauce
Adverb
She dropped the book smack in the middle of the table.
The ball hit me smack in the face.
Recent Examples on the Web
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2025
On the other end of the spectrum are passionate amateurs who post stories, serialize novels-in-progress, commiserate about the joys and agonies of writing, talk smack about the literary establishment, and cheer one another on.
—Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 11 May 2025
Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 16 June 2025
Fifteen years ago, smack in the middle of Barack Obama's first term, amid the rapid rise of social media and a slow recovery from the Great Recession, a professor at the University of Connecticut issued a stark warning: the United States was heading into a decade of growing political instability.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Tom Brown, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Pache, racing around third trying to score the winner, ran smack into teammate Ildemaro Vargas, who had run onto the field (with a phone, ostensibly to record the celebration) to meet the runner at home.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smack
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
The film’s love story has run smack into its key obstacle, and the obstacle turns out to be…a script that needed a rewrite.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2025
On the other end of the spectrum are passionate amateurs who post stories, serialize novels-in-progress, commiserate about the joys and agonies of writing, talk smack about the literary establishment, and cheer one another on.
—Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 11 May 2025
Verb
The Giants haven’t had a 30-homer hitter in a single season since Bonds smacked 45 in 2004.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 16 June 2025
Fifteen years ago, smack in the middle of Barack Obama's first term, amid the rapid rise of social media and a slow recovery from the Great Recession, a professor at the University of Connecticut issued a stark warning: the United States was heading into a decade of growing political instability.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Adverb
Auroras usually make up either the Northern Lights or the Southern Lights, but they certainly aren't expected to occur smack in the middle.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Pache, racing around third trying to score the winner, ran smack into teammate Ildemaro Vargas, who had run onto the field (with a phone, ostensibly to record the celebration) to meet the runner at home.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smack
Cite this Entry
“Smack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smack. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smack
1 of 5 noun1
: characteristic or slight taste or flavor
2
: a small quantity
smack
2 of 5 verb
: to have a flavor, trace, or suggestion
smack
3 of 5 verb1
: to close and open the lips noisily especially in eating
2
: to kiss usually loudly
3
: to make or give a sharp slap or blow
smack
4 of 5 noun1
: a quick sharp noise made by rapidly opening and closing the lips
2
: a loud kiss
3
: a sharp slap or blow
smack
5 of 5 adverb
: in a square and sharp manner : directly
hit me smack in the face
Etymology
Noun
Old English smæc "a characteristic taste or flavor"
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