Spanking — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb verb /ˈspaŋ-kiŋ/ spank·ing

Meaning & Definition of Spanking

Spanking (adjective)

  1. remarkable of its kind
  2. being fresh and strong, brisk

Spanking (adverb)

  1. very

Spanking (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having much high-spirited energy and movement

    "a spanking and speedy little horse"

    similar: active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, lively, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy, racy, snappy, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, on the go
    related: dapper, dashing, spiffy, agog, alert, awake, open-eyed, up, wide-awake, agile, nimble, spry, bright, buoyant, cheerful, chipper, chirpy, chirrupy, effervescent, sparkly, upbeat, eager, enthusiastic, keen, frolicsome, impish, pixieish, playful, boisterous, bubbly, ebullient, exuberant, high-spirited, high-strung, nervous, skittish
    opposite: dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid
    near: indolent, lazy, unambitious, inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid, weary, apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, stolid, boring, dull, irksome, tedious

Spanking (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to a great degree

    "the bathroom tiles were spanking white when she finished cleaning them"

    similar: achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, desperately, eminently, enormously, especially, ever, exceedingly, extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous (chiefly dialect), mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, real, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, very, vitally, way, whacking, wicked, wildly, a lot, as all get-out, good and
    related: absolutely, altogether, completely, downright, entirely, flat-out, fully, positively, purely, radically, thoroughly, totally, utterly, wholly, deeply, profoundly, exceptionally, notably, remarkably, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially, appreciably, discernibly, markedly, noticeably, obviously, palpably, plainly, visibly, abundantly, plentifully, astronomically, grandly, monstrously, monumentally, excessively, obscenely, overmuch, amazingly, astonishingly, staggeringly
    opposite: little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat
    near: meagerly, scantily, barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely

Spanking (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in knocking, smacking

    similar: banging, battering, buffeting, knocking, pounding, smacking, thumping, beating, flailing, flapping, flopping, fluttering, whipping, flickering, flicking, flitting, fanning, oscillating, swaying, swinging, undulating, waving, palpitating, pulsing, throbbing

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Spanking

The most common words with a similar meaning to Spanking:

Chiefly dialect: monstrous
active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, lively, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy, racy, snappy, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, on the go, achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Spanking

Words with the opposite meaning of Spanking:

dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid, little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat

Related Words for Spanking

dapper, dashing, spiffy, agog, alert, awake, open-eyed, up, wide-awake, agile, nimble, spry, bright, buoyant, cheerful, chipper, chirpy, chirrupy, effervescent, sparkly, upbeat, eager, enthusiastic, keen, frolicsome, impish, pixieish, playful, boisterous, bubbly

Near Antonyms of Spanking

indolent, lazy, unambitious, inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid, weary, apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, stolid, boring, dull, irksome, tedious, meagerly, scantily, barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely

Origin & Etymology of Spanking

origin unknown

First known use: circa 1666

Words & Phrases Containing Spanking

spanking new, get a spanking, give (someone) a spanking

Frequently Asked Questions about Spanking

What does "Spanking" mean?

"Spanking" means remarkable of its kind. As an an adjective, an adverb and a verb, it is defined as: remarkable of its kind. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Spanking"?

Other words for "Spanking" include active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic and frisky. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Spanking" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Spanking"?

There are 212 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Spanking". Common alternatives include active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay and jaunty.

What is the opposite of "Spanking"?

Antonyms of "Spanking" include dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous and leaden. Near antonyms include indolent, lazy, unambitious and inert.

How do you use "Spanking" in a sentence?

Examples of "Spanking" in a sentence: "a spanking and speedy little horse"; "the bathroom tiles were spanking white when she finished cleaning them".

Is "Spanking" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Spanking" can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Spanking"?

"Spanking" is pronounced /ˈspaŋ-kiŋ/ and divided into syllables as spank·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Spanking"?

"Spanking" comes from origin unknown. First known use: circa 1666.