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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

slap.

A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/slæp/
  1. A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.

    countable
    He gave me a friendly slap on the back as a sign of camaraderie.
  2. A sharp percussive sound like that produced by such a blow.

    countable
    the slap of my feet on the bathroom tiles
  3. The percussive sound produced in slap bass playing.

    countable
  4. Makeup; cosmetics.

    slang · uncountable
  5. An eye-catching sticker used in street art.

    countable · slang
Where this word comes from

From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”).

verb/slæp/
  1. To strike someone, typically with an open hand, often on the face.

    transitive
    She slapped him in response to the insult.
  2. To cause something to strike soundly.

    transitive
    He slapped the reins against the horse's back.
  3. To strike soundly against something.

    intransitive
    The rain slapped against the window-panes.
  4. To be excellent, especially when relating to music.

    intransitive · slang · stative
    The band's new single slaps.
  5. To place, to put carelessly.

    transitive
    We'd better slap some fresh paint on that wall.
  6. To impose a penalty, etc. on (someone).

    figuratively · informal · transitive
    I was slapped with a parking fine.
  7. To play slap bass on (an instrument).

    informal · transitive
Where this word comes from

From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”).

adv/slæp/
  1. Exactly, precisely

    not-comparable
    He tossed the file down slap in the middle of the table.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”).

adj/slæp/
  1. Very good, excellent, amazing.

    UK · slang
    These cookies are slap.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.