whammy
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wham·my
(wăm′ē, hwăm′ē)n. pl. wham·mies Slang
1. A supernatural spell for subduing an adversary; a hex: put the whammy on someone.
2. A serious or devastating setback: "The triple whammy: government cuts, declining corporate giving, and less favorable tax laws" (New York Times).
[Perhaps from wham.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
whammy
(ˈwæmɪ)n, pl -mies
1. something which has great, often negative, impact: the double whammy of high interest rates and low wage increases.
2. (Alternative Belief Systems) an evil spell or curse: she was convinced he had put the whammy on her.
[C20: wham + -y2]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wham•my
(ˈʰwæm i, ˈwæm i)n., pl. -mies. Slang.
1. the evil eye; hex.
2. a devastating blow, setback, or catastrophe.
[1935–40; wham + -y2, one of the methods of putting a whammy on someone being to strike the fist into the palm]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | whammy - a serious or devastating setback |
2. | whammy - an evil spell; "a witch put a curse on his whole family"; "he put the whammy on me" magic spell, magical spell, charm, spell - a verbal formula believed to have magical force; "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands"; "inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
whammy
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
whammy
n a double/triple whammy → ein doppelter/dreifacher Schlag
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007