Synonyms of smacknext
1
: characteristic taste or flavor
also : a perceptible taste or tincture
2
: a small quantity

smack

2 of 7

verb (1)

smacked; smacking; smacks

intransitive verb

1
: to have a taste or flavor
2
: to have a trace, vestige, or suggestion
a proposal that smacks of treason

smack

3 of 7

noun (2)

: a sailing ship (such as a sloop or cutter) used chiefly in coasting and fishing

smack

4 of 7

verb (2)

smacked; smacking; smacks

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to make or give a smack

smack

5 of 7

noun (3)

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

smack

6 of 7

adverb

: squarely and sharply : directly
smack in the middle

smack

7 of 7

noun (4)

slang
: heroin

Examples 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
So what’s this relic of a detective doing smack in the middle of it? Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2026 However, the bar is smack in the middle of one of the densest clusters of quality restaurants in the entire city. Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Verb
Curtis Mead smacked a pinch two-run homer to give Washington a 4-3 lead in the sixth. CBS News, 24 June 2026 Felix Nmecha’s direct forward pass was a peach and Undav instinctively tamed it with his right and smacked it with his left. Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Adverb
To talk smack in realtime during the ceremony, go to r/Oscars on Reddit or pick a topical feed on Bluesky. Michael Calore, Wired News, 12 Mar. 2026 But those who did have kids in the years leading up to 2020 ran smack into the COVID-19 pandemic. Aarushi Bhandari, The Conversation, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for smack

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English smæc; akin to Old High German smac taste and probably to Lithuanian smaguris sweet tooth

Noun (2)

Dutch smak or Low German smack

Verb (2)

akin to Middle Dutch smacken to strike

Noun (4)

perhaps from Yiddish shmek sniff, whiff, pinch (of snuff)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1533, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

circa 1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of smack was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smack. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: 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 verb
1
: 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 noun
1
: 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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