to give a whap

8.8

To hit something quickly with a short, sharp blow

phrasal verb
/ɡɪv ə wæp/

Informal

: dar un golpe

The child gave a whap to the piñata with her stick.

Examples

Whenever the vending machine jams, I give a whap to the side and it usually starts again.
Don't give a whap to that door!
He decided to give a whap to the old television set when it stopped working.
He gave a whap to the table.
Whenever my computer freezes, I give a whap to the side of the monitor to get it working again.
The mechanic gave a whap to the engine to check for any loose parts.
She gave a whap to the soccer ball, sending it flying into the net.

Synonyms

to hit

vsto give a whap

∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

is more specific in stressing a sharp, audible strike

to strike

vsto give a whap

553 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

is more specific about causing a sharp, audible hit

to slap

vsto give a whap

492 1.0

Hit quickly with the flat part of the hand

is broader and includes sharp sounds from other objects too

to punch

vsto give a whap

455 1.4

To hit someone or something quickly with a closed fist

is alike in force but not limited to a fist strike

to slam

vsto give a whap

323 2.3

To close or hit something with great force and make a loud noise

is narrower, stressing a sharp striking sound specifically

to bang

vsto give a whap

318 1.0

To hit or close something suddenly and loudly

is similar but centers on a sharp striking sound

to whack

vsto give a whap

250 5.5

To hit someone or something hard so it makes a loud sound

is comparable but more tied to a sharp sound

to smack

vsto give a whap

164 3.5

To hit someone or something with an open hand

is alike but covers sharp strikes from any object

to bash

vsto give a whap

NSFW

73 2.9

To hit someone or something very hard

is equally forceful but focuses on producing a sharp sound

to whop

vsto give a whap

Informal

43 7.9

To hit someone or something very hard

is similar but highlights making a sharp noise on impact

to thump

vsto give a whap

27 3.4

To hit something hard so it makes a dull sound

is similar in force but expects a sharper, crisper sound

to rap

vsto give a whap

8 3.7

To hit something quickly to make a short sharp sound

is similar but emphasizes a slightly stronger sharp noise

to strike hard

vsto give a whap

3 3.7

Hit someone or something very hard

is similar but places extra weight on a sharp sound

to thwack

vsto give a whap

3 8.0

To hit something hard with a flat object so it makes a loud sound

is similarly forceful but emphasizes a brief sharp sound

to wallop

vsto give a whap

Informal

2 7.3

To hit something or someone very hard

is equally forceful but points to a sharp, audible hit

to whap

vsto give a whap

1 8.1

To hit something or someone hard and make a loud sound

is also forceful but stresses a quick sharp sound

to whomp

vsto give a whap

Informal

1 8.6

To hit forcefully with the hand or a flat object

focuses more on producing a sharp, striking sound

to clonk

vsto give a whap

1 8.3

To hit something so it makes a dull, heavy sound

is different by being sharper and not dull sounding

to whump

vsto give a whap

1 9.0

To hit something so it makes a dull heavy sound

is contrastively sharper and often produces a crisp sound

to wack

vsto give a whap

Informal

1 8.9

Hit someone or something quickly and hard

is similar but stresses a distinct sharp sound on impact

to knock about

vsto give a whap

1 6.3

To hit something hard so it moves or gets damaged

differs by focusing on a single sharp strike rather than repeated hits

to whammo

vsto give a whap

Informal

9.9

To hit something suddenly with great force

matches the suddenness but is more about sharp sound

to whuff

vsto give a whap

9.9

To hit something so it makes a dull heavy sound

is more about sharp impact noise than dull thuds

to whang

vsto give a whap

Informal

9.9

To hit something hard so it makes a loud sound

is similar but specifies a quicker, sharper noise

Antonyms

pat

∞ 1.0

A quick gentle touch with the hand to show comfort or approval

caress

14 3.8

A gentle touch that shows affection

How Hard

to smash

311 2.1

to whack

250 5.5

to give a whap

Informal

8.8

to hit

∞ 1.0

tap

66 1.0

Surface Forms

give a whap infinitive

gave a whap past

given a whap past participle

giving a whap present participle

gives a whap third person singular

Morphology

give + a + whap

The meaning 'to hit or strike' is directly derivable from the constituents: 'give' in the sense of 'deliver', the article 'a', and 'whap' as an onomatopoeic word for a sharp blow. The construction 'give a + [blow/noise]' is a common, compositional pattern in English (e.g. give a push, give a knock), so a B1 learner who knows the parts will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Give a whap may come from the sound word whap, which copies the quick, sharp noise made when something is hit. Imagine someone giving a hard slap that makes a 'whap' sound; that is why it means 'to hit or strike something forcefully'.