whomping

Whomping is an informal English adjective meaning very large, great, or substantial, especially in the idiom “a whomping great distance.” It intensifies a following noun rather than functioning as an ordinary descriptive adjective like large or huge. The expression can be genuinely emphatic, as when the journey takes a long time, but it also has a playful, old-fashioned, or mock-serious quality, so speakers may use it humorously to underline exaggeration. The word is established in both British and North American English, though it is much less common than huge or enormous. Its best-known use is in constructions such as “a whomping great mistake” or “a whomping great success,” where the pairing of the unusual adjective with the intensifier great creates a deliberately emphatic effect. Whomping is worth knowing because it combines size, force, and comic emphasis in a memorable expression.

Very large, great, or substantial. It is especially used in emphatic constructions such as “a whomping great distance.”

Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.

Etymology of whomping

The word was developed in the 19th century from the older expressive term whumping, which could refer to a heavy blow and, figuratively, to a very large amount. Its relationship to whomp and thump is generally understood as an expressive or imitative association rather than a regular inherited line of descent. The familiar construction “a whomping great distance” became a defining part of the word's use.

How whomping is actually used

Informal and deliberately emphatic. It often has a humorous, exaggerated, or mock-serious tone and is much less common than huge, enormous, or vast.

Easily confused with whomping

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Words and phrases paired with whomping

Rhymes with whomping