- [countable] the action of hitting somebody/something with the flat part of your hand
- She gave him a slap across the face.
- He gave me a hearty slap on the back.
Extra Examples- Her mother delivered a hard slap and sent her to bed.
- She gave him a playful slap on the arm as everyone laughed.
- That boy needs a slap!
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- gentle
- light
- little
- …
- deliver
- give somebody
- get
- …
- slap across
- slap on
- with a slap
- …
- a slap in the face
- a slap on the wrist
Definitions on the go
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- [singular] the noise made by hitting somebody/something with the flat part of your hand; a similar noise made by something else
- the gentle slap of water against the shore
- He hit the water with a resounding slap.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- gentle
- light
- little
- …
- deliver
- give somebody
- get
- …
- slap across
- slap on
- with a slap
- …
- a slap in the face
- a slap on the wrist
- [uncountable] (British English, informal) make-up (= coloured substances used on the skin to make yourself look more attractive or to change your appearance)
Word Originlate Middle English (as a verb): probably imitative. The noun dates from the mid 17th cent.
Idioms
See slap in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryslap and tickle
- (British English, old-fashioned, informal) enthusiastic kissing and cuddling between lovers
a slap in the face
- an action that seems to be intended as a deliberate way of offending and showing lack of respect for somebody
- The closure of the school is a slap in the face to the local community.
a slap on the wrist
- (informal) a warning or mild punishment
- We're hoping that she gets off with a slap on the wrist from the judge.
Check pronunciation:
slap