Whangs

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A sudden, loud sound made by an object striking something else sharply
2. A forceful impact noise, often associated with accidents or the clashing of materials
3. A sharp, resonant noise created when one thing hits another with considerable force

Etymology: "Whangs" is the third-person singular present form of "whang," a verb meaning to strike something with a sharp, loud noise, and it is the same word in its noun use. "Whang" is imitative: its sound mirrors the noise it describes, which is why it reads like a blow or a clang rather than a neutral description. The word's roots run through Scots. It is a debuccalized form of "thwang," where the initial "th" sound has weakened to "wh," a change that moved the word from Scots into the wider English vocabulary. "Thwang" is cognate with "thong," tying the sharp snap of the verb to the leather strip, which points to a shared older sense of a sudden whip-like stroke.

Synonyms: thumps, bangs, whacks, hits, knocks

Antonyms: silences, softens, calms