slap

English

Etymology

From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æp

• Audio (CAN)

  (file)

Noun

slap (countable and uncountable, plural slaps)

1. (countable) A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.
2. (countable) The sound of such a blow.
   • 2019 August 15, Bob Stanley, “'Groovy, groovy, groovy': listening to Woodstock 50 years on – all 38 discs”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Havens goes into the terrific Freedom for an encore, which will turn out to be a highlight of the movie; its chopped guitar and conga slaps pre-empt late 90s R&B.

3. (slang, uncountable) Makeup; cosmetics.

Usage notes

Especially used of blows to the face (aggressive), buttocks, and hand, frequently as a sign of reproach. Conversely, used of friendly strikes to the back, as a sign of camaraderie.

Hyponyms

• cuff

Derived terms

• bitch-slap
• dickslap
• pimp-slap
• slap and tickle
• slap in the face

Translations

A blow dealt with the open hand

• Albanian: shputë (sq), shuplakë (sq), dackë (sq)
• Arabic: صَفْعَة‎ (ṣafʿa), لَطْمَة‎ (laṭma)

  Moroccan Arabic: طرشة‎ f (ṭarša)

• Armenian: (in the face) ապտակ (hy) (aptak), (in the face, dialectal) չափալախ (hy) (čʿapʿalax), (in the face, dialectal) սիլլա (hy) (silla)
• Assamese: চৰ (sor), থাপৰ (thapor)
• Azerbaijani: şapalaq
• Bikol Central: sapak
• Catalan: bufetada (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拍擊 (zh), 拍击 (zh) (pāijí), 耳光 (zh) (ěrguāng) (slap on the face)

• Czech: facka (cs) f
• Dutch: mep (nl) f, klets (nl) f
• Esperanto: manfrapo
• Estonian: hoobiga
• Finnish: läimäys (fi), läimäytys, läpsäys, läpsy, läpsäytys (fi)
• French: claque (fr) f, gifle (fr) f (slap on the face) , fessée (fr) f (slap on the bum)
• Galician: lapo m, lapote m, labazada (gl) f, tabanada f, losquión m, lufiada f, lespia f, zafrañada f, lusquiñada f, mocada f, sopapo m, pastoxada f, batibarbas f
• German: Klaps (de) m, Schlag (de) m
• Greek: χαστούκι (el) n (chastoúki), σφαλιάρα (el) f (sfaliára)

  Ancient: ῥάπισμα n (rhápisma), ἀλάπη f (alápē)

• Hindi: चांटा (cāṇṭā), चाँटा (hi) (cā̃ṭā)
• Hungarian: csapás (hu), ütés (hu), (in the face) pofon (hu), arculcsapás, arculütés
• Indonesian: tamparan (id)

• Italian: schiaffo (it) m, ceffone (it) m, pacca (it) f, briscola (it) f
• Japanese: 平手打ち (ひらてうち, hirateuchi), ビンタ (binta) (slang, usually referring to a slap on the face)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: زلە‎ (ku) (zle), چەپۆک‎ (ku) (çepok)

• Latin: alapa f
• Luhya: ekofi
• Macedonian: шамар m (šamar), шлаканица f (šlakanica)
• Norman: charabouste f, cliamuse f (in the face), cliaque f (in the face), gifl'ye f, girnouffl'ye f, mornifl'ye f, nord-êt m, paffe f, talmouse f
• Norwegian: ørefik m, en over kjeften
• Persian: سیلی‎ (fa) (sīlī)
• Polish: klaps (pl) m, klepnięcie n, policzek (pl) m
• Portuguese: palmada (pt) f, estalo (pt) m, tapa (pt) m, bofetada (pt) f, chapada (pt) f, tabefe (pt) m
• Russian: шлепо́к (ru) m (šlepók), пощёчина (ru) f (poščóčina) (slap on the face) , оплеу́ха (ru) f (opleúxa) (slap on the face) , затре́щина (ru) f (zatréščina) (slap on the face)
• Sicilian: moffa (scn) f, tumpuluni (scn) m, tumpulata (scn) f
• Slovene: klofuta (sl) f
• Spanish: bofetada (es) f, cachetada (es) f
• Swahili: kibare (sw), kibao (sw)
• Turkish: sille (tr), tokat (tr), şaplak (tr), şamar (tr)
• Ukrainian: ля́пас m (ljápas)
• Urdu: چانٹا‎ (cā̃ṭā)
• Volapük: (diminutive) flapil (vo)
• Walloon: berlafe (wa) f, tchofe (wa) f, bafe (wa) f, ratournêye (wa) f, racatoirtcheye (wa) f

The sound of such a blow.

• Finnish: läpsähdys (fi), läpsäys, räpsähdys (fi)
• Russian: шлепо́к (ru) m (šlepók), хлопо́к (ru) m (xlopók)

• Spanish: bofetada (es) f, cachetada (es) f
• Swahili: kibare (sw)

Makeup, cosmetics.

• German: Makeup n, Schminke (de) f

• Russian: штукату́рка (ru) f (štukatúrka)

Verb

slap (third-person singular simple present slaps, present participle slapping, simple past and past participle slapped)

1. (transitive) To give a slap to.

   She slapped him in response to the insult.

   • 1922, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room Chapter 1

     Mrs. Flanders rose, slapped her coat this side and that to get the sand off, and picked up her black parasol.

2. (transitive) To cause something to strike soundly.

   He slapped the reins against the horse's back.

3. (intransitive) To strike soundly against something.

   The rain slapped against the window-panes.

4. (intransitive, slang, of music) To be excellent.

   Their new single slaps.

   • 2019, "Glass Battles", PT Music Watch, Issue 1 (2019), page 35:

     There are some cinematic elements, but at the end of the day, the album fucking slaps.

   • 2019, Gloria Perez, "Your Things", Your Mag, April 2019, page 74:

     Also I will never get tired of the song "Motion Sickness" by Phoebe Bridgers. Shit slaps.

   • 2019, Elly Watson, "The Great 2019 Debate", DIY, November 2019, page 59:

     2016's 'Girls Like Me' still slaps to this day.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:slap.
5. (transitive) To place, to put carelessly.

   We'd better slap some fresh paint on that wall.

   • 2018 "The Secret Ceramics Room of Secrets", Bob's Burgers

     Louise Belcher: "On Monday there was supposed to be some big schoolboard inspection or something, so instead of cleaning the place up, what does the principal do? He panics. He and the janitor and the janitor's brother slap a wall where the door used to be."
     Gene Belcher: "Wall slap."

6. (transitive, informal, figuratively) To impose a penalty, etc. on (someone).

   I was slapped with a parking fine.

7. (transitive, informal) To play slap bass on (an instrument).
   • 2007, Jon Paulien, The Gospel from Patmos:

     With no drums, Black began slapping his bass to keep time while Moore's guitar leaped in and out of the melody line.

Hyponyms

• cuff

Derived terms

• slapper
• slap leather
• slap together
• slap-up

Translations

to give a slap

• Albanian: backos (sq)
• Arabic: صَفَعَ‎ (ṣafaʿa), صَفَقَ‎ (ṣafaqa), لاطَمَ‎ (lāṭama), لَطَمَ‎ (laṭama), وَطَشَ‎ (waṭaša)
• Armenian: ապտակել (hy) (aptakel), չափալախել (hy) (čʿapʿalaxel) (dialectal)
• Assamese: চৰিওৱা (soriüa)
• Azerbaijani: şapalaqlamaq
• Basque: please add this translation if you can
• Bikol Central: sapak
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: meppen (nl), kletsen (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: läimäyttää, läpsäyttää, läpäyttää, läpsäistä
• French: gifler (fr) (slap in the face) , fesser (fr) (slap on the bum)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: klatschen (de), (leicht) schlagen (de), patschen (de), ohrfeigen (de)
• Gothic: 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍀𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (kaupatjan)
• Greek: χαστουκίζω (el) (chastoukízo), σφαλιαρίζω (el) (sfaliarízo)

  Ancient: ῥαπίζω (rhapízō)

• Hungarian: pofon vág, képen töröl, arcul üt, arcul csap
• Ido: frapar (io)
• Indonesian: menampar (id)

• Italian: schiaffeggiare (it), colpire (it), dare una pacca a
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Khmer: ទះ (km) (teah), ទះកំផ្លៀង (teah kɑmplieŋ)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: زلە لێدان‎ (ku) (zle lêdan), چەپۆک لێدان‎ (ku) (çepok lêdan)

• Latin: depalmo, alapam dō
• Maori: taupaki, pāhia
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norman: charbousseter, cliaper, cliatchi, cliamûser
• Norwegian: fike, slå (no)
• Persian: سیلی زدن‎ (sili zadan)
• Portuguese: esbofetear
• Quechua: ch'aqlay
• Russian: шлёпать (ru) impf (šljópatʹ), шлёпнуть (ru) pf (šljópnutʹ), дава́ть пощёчину impf (davátʹ poščóčinu), дать пощёчину pf (datʹ poščóčinu) (to slap somebody's face)
• Spanish: abofetear (es), cachetear (es)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: tokatlamak (tr), vurmak (tr), şamarlamak (tr), sille atmak, aşk etmek (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Volapük: flapilön

to cause something to strike soundly

• Finnish: mätkäyttää, läpsäistä, mätkäistä
• Italian: sbattere (it)
• Spanish: golpear (es)

• Turkish: pat diye ses çıkarmak

To place, to put carelessly

• Dutch: neerkwakken (nl)
• Finnish: lyödä (fi), mätkäyttää, roiskia
• Italian: sbattere (it)

• Spanish: aventar (es)

Adverb

slap (not comparable)

1. Exactly, precisely

   He tossed the file down slap in the middle of the table.

Synonyms

• just, right, slap bang, smack dab; see also Thesaurus:exactly

Translations

exactly

• Spanish: justo (es) n

Anagrams

• ALPs, APLS, APLs, ASPL, Alps, PALS, PALs, Pals, Plas, SPLA, alps, laps, pals, salp

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Danish

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ap

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German slap

Adjective

slap

1. loose
2. limp
3. slack
4. weak (muscles)
5. flaccid
6. lax

Inflection

Inflection of slap
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Common singular	slap	slappere	slappest2
Neuter singular	slapt	slappere	slappest2
Plural	slappe	slappere	slappest2
Definite attributive1	slappe	slappere	slappeste
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

slap

1. past tense of slippe

References

• “slap” in Den Danske Ordbog

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch slap. Cognate with German schlaff and schlapp.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slɑp/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

slap (comparative slapper, superlative slapst)

1. slack
2. weak

Inflection

Inflection of slap
uninflected	slap
inflected	slappe
comparative	slapper
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		slap	slapper	het slapst het slapste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	slappe	slappere	slapste
	n. sing.	slap	slapper	slapste
	plural	slappe	slappere	slapste
definite		slappe	slappere	slapste
partitive		slaps	slappers	—

Anagrams

• plas

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Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *slēpaz. Compare Old English slǣp, Old High German slāf.

Noun

slāp m

1. sleep

Declension

Declension of slāp (masculine a-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	slāp	slāpos
accusative	slāp	slāpos
genitive	slāpes	slāpō
dative	slāpe	slāpum
instrumental	—	—

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Scots

Noun

slap (plural slaps)

1. A gap in a fence.
   • 1790, Robert Burns, Tam o' Shanter:

     The mosses, waters, slaps and stiles, / That lie between us and our hame

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

2. A narrow cleft between hills.

Verb

slap

1. (transitive) To break an opening in.

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *solpъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slâːp/

Noun

slȃp m (Cyrillic spelling сла̑п)

1. (geology) waterfall

Declension

Declension of slap

	singular	plural
nominative	slȃp	slápovi
genitive	slapa	slapova
dative	slapu	slapovima
accusative	slap	slapove
vocative	slape	slapovi
locative	slapu	slapovima
instrumental	slapom	slapovima

References

• “slap” in Hrvatski jezični portal

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Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *solpъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sláːp/

Noun

slȃp m inan

1. (geology) waterfall

Inflection

Masculine inan., hard o-stem
nom. sing.	sláp
gen. sing.	slápa
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	sláp	slápa	slápi
accusative	sláp	slápa	slápe
genitive	slápa	slápov	slápov
dative	slápu	slápoma	slápom
locative	slápu	slápih	slápih
instrumental	slápom	slápoma	slápi

Masculine inan., hard o-stem, mobile accent, plural in -ôv-
nom. sing.	sláp
gen. sing.	slapú
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	sláp	slapôva	slapôvi
accusative	sláp	slapôva	slapôve
genitive	slapú	slapôv	slapôv
dative	slápu	slapôvoma	slapôvom
locative	slápu	slapôvih	slapôvih
instrumental	slápom	slapôvoma	slapôvi

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Spanish

Noun

slap m (plural slaps)

1. (Peru) flip-flop, thong (Australia), jandal (New Zealand)

Synonyms

• bamba
• chancla
• chola (Venezuela)
• ojota (Argentina)
• sayonara (Peru)