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The origin of whammy is not entirely certain, but it is assumed to have been created by combining wham (a solid blow) with the whimsical -y ending. The first example of whammy in print occured in 1940, but the word was popularized in the 1950s by the cartoonist Al Capp in the comic strip Li'l Abner. The character Evil-Eye Fleegle could paralyze someone with the sheer power of his gaze. The single whammy was a look with one eye, and the fearsome double whammy used both eyes. As you may know, double whammy has also found a place in English as a general term. It means "a combination of two adverse forces, circumstances, or effects" - in other words, a one-two punch.
Examples of whammy in a Sentence
Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
The double-whammy of environmental regulations and environmental litigation has been destroying housing opportunities for a half-century.
—James Burling, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
The Kansas City area faces a weekend double-whammy as blistering heat gives way to powerful storms that could bring flooding and severe weather, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
The second quarter was hit by a triple whammy of tariffs, domestic inflation and sudden spikes in bond yields that made banner headlines.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whammy. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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