whammy

noun

wham·​my ˈ(h)wa-mē How to pronounce whammy (audio)
plural whammies
1
a
: a supernatural power bringing bad luck
b
: a magic curse or spell : jinx, hex
2
: a potent force or attack
specifically : a paralyzing or lethal blow

Did you know?

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

if you tell anyone about this, I swear I'll put the whammy on you put the whammy on herself by publicly predicting that she would win the tennis tournament
Recent Examples on the Web This triple whammy made for less of an incentive to build out full protections. Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing — even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy! Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023 But then she got socked with a triple whammy of disasters. Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 17 July 2023 Mark Kelly Virginia’s off-year elections are regularly worth watching as a political harbinger, but this year’s could be a triple whammy. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 June 2023 Lean Budgets The triple whammy of skyrocketing labor costs, the challenges of leading a hybrid remote team and a tightening economy that is forcing clients to question every budget line item has proven to be a challenge. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023 In an uncharacteristically sloppy performance that featured errors, unearned runs, base-running blunders and balks, the Beavers walked away wallowing in a triple whammy of disheartening news. Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023 Some lucky folks in Texas, meanwhile, will get a double solar whammy when the annular eclipse passes over the same location as the total eclipse six months later. Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 20 Mar. 2023 China is counting the cost of a multiple whammy of hits to its economy, from a crackdown on the property market and an energy crunch to stringent virus controls and soaring commodity prices. Nasreen Seria, Bloomberg.com, 16 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whammy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from wham entry 1

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of whammy was in 1940

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Dictionary Entries Near whammy

Cite this Entry

“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whammy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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