thwacking

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Present participle of thwack: hitting something hard with a flat object so that it makes a sharp noise.

   Grammar: Takes an object: he is thwacking the ball with a bat.

   Patterns

   • thwack something with something
   • thwack someone

   He spent the afternoon thwacking tennis balls against the wall.

   The cook was thwacking the dough with a rolling pin.

   She was thwacking the dusty rug with a stick.

2. 2noununcountable

   The act of hitting something with a sharp, flat sound, or the sound itself.

   Grammar: Often used as a noun-like gerund: the thwacking of the bats.

   Patterns

   • the thwacking of something

   The thwacking of bat on ball echoed across the field.

   We heard the thwacking of wet laundry on the rocks.

   Their steady thwacking kept time with the music.

Common combinations

thwacking sound

A thwacking sound came from the garage.

thwacking a ball

The boys were thwacking a ball across the lawn.

thwacking noise

The thwacking noise of the whip startled the horse.

thwacking the rug

She was thwacking the rug to get the dust out.

Synonyms and how they differ

whacking

Whacking is slightly more general and can sound careless, while thwacking emphasizes the sharp crack of the impact.

slapping

Slapping uses an open hand or flat surface lightly, while thwacking suggests stronger, harder blows.

smacking

Smacking is very close but is often used for people or hands, whereas thwacking often uses a tool or object.

Opposites

Word family

thwack noun

a sharp sound of hitting something

thwack verb

to hit with a sharp, flat sound

thwacked verb

the past form of thwack

Commonly confused: thwacking or thwarting?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “thwacking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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