spam

1 of 3

noun

ˈspam 

: unsolicited usually commercial messages (such as emails, text messages, or Internet postings) sent to a large number of recipients or posted in a large number of places

spam

2 of 3

verb

spammed; spamming

transitive verb

: to send or post spam to

spammed customers with discount offers

spamming a message board

intransitive verb

: to send or post spam

The company was accused of spamming via text messages.

spammer noun

Spam

3 of 3

trademark

—used for a canned meat product

Examples of spam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, then tap Block and report spam, then confirm by tapping Yes. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026

During the acquisition process, Musk claimed that fake and spam accounts accounted for at least 20% of Twitter users at the time, a claim that could have had a significant impact on the value of the company. —Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 21 Mar. 2026

Verb

That means a dedicated fraudster would have to spam a ton of artists with a ton of fake songs. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026

The company later said an email from the senator's office did not reach its CEO due to spam filtering and that its privacy channels are actively monitored. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from a skit on the British television series Monty Python's Flying Circus in which chanting of the word Spam overrides the other dialogue

First Known Use

Noun

1990, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1994, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing spam

• anti-spam
• spam filter

Rhymes for spam

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam

Kids Definition

spam

1 of 2 noun

ˈspam 

: unsolicited usually commercial email sent to a large number of addresses

spam

2 of 2 verb

: to send spam to

spammer noun