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
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2025
The weather gods will bestow the warmest day of the year smack in the middle of spring break.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Indiana’s first unit smacked opponents by 12.2 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, according to Cleaning the Glass.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Correa talked smack, ate, talked more smack and then headed to the batting cages to warm up.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smack
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Noun
May 15, 2025 The Chargers also poked fun at Jason Kelce breaking a fan’s phone for talking smack about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2025
The weather gods will bestow the warmest day of the year smack in the middle of spring break.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
The two smacked into each other last Thursday trying to catch a Cedric Mullins fly ball, leaving both with concussions.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Indiana’s first unit smacked opponents by 12.2 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, according to Cleaning the Glass.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Adverb
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
Correa talked smack, ate, talked more smack and then headed to the batting cages to warm up.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 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 9 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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