hack

1 of 7

verb (1)

ˈhak How to pronounce hack (audio)
hacked; hacking; hacks
Synonyms of hacknext

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blows
b
: to cut or shape by or as if by crude or ruthless strokes
hacking out new election districts
c
: annoy, vex
—often used with off
He gets really hacked off when people cheat.
2
: to clear or make by or as if by cutting away vegetation
hacked his way through the brush
3
a
informal : to manage successfully
just couldn't hack the new job
b
informal : tolerate
I can't hack all this noise
4
: to gain illegal access to (a computer network, system, etc.)
In the last decade they have hacked computer networks in Estonia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, and Bulgaria—often stealing data.—The New York Times
… perhaps I would have become one of those lost souls wandering the basement of MIT playing with computers and hacking the telephone network.—Lee Smolin

intransitive verb

1
a
: to make chopping strokes or blows
hacked at the weeds
also : to make cuts as if by chopping
hacking away at the work force
b
: to play inexpert golf
2
: to cough in a short dry manner
3
: loaf
—usually used with around
hacking around at the corner drugstore—Ruth McKenney
4
a
: to write computer programs for enjoyment
b
: to gain access to a computer illegally
trying to hack into the network

hack

2 of 7

noun (1)

1
: a tool for rough cutting or chopping : an implement for hacking
2
: nick, notch
3
: a short dry cough
4
: a rough or irregular cutting stroke : a hacking blow
5
: restriction to quarters as punishment for naval officers
—usually used in the phrase under hack
6
a
: a usually creatively improvised solution to a computer hardware or programming problem or limitation
… the 33 MHz processor that powers these PDAs is too weak to drive MP3 music files. Sony created a neat hack: it added a digital-signal processing chip that bypasses the operating system.—Josh Quittner
b
: an act or instance of gaining or attempting to gain illegal access to a computer or computer system
Methods for protecting what needs to be protected are available in the marketplace and work very well. Most security breaches are insider jobs, not hacks.—Samuel L. Earp
The center is divided into seven directorates. Among these is the Air Force Computer Emergency Response Team, whose nonclassified function is to report vulnerabilities and security violations such as hacks and virus incidents.—Jim Wilson
Almost 100 million cars … are vulnerable to numerous hacks that could let thieves unlock them remotely through a wireless signal …—Cara McGoogan
c
: a clever tip or technique for doing or improving something
We asked entrepreneurs across industries to share their favorite productivity hacks, from useful organization apps to clever tricks for cutting down meeting times.—Richard Feloni
see also life hack

hack

3 of 7

noun (2)

1
a
: hackney sense 2
b(1)
: taxicab
(2)
: cabdriver
2
a(1)
: a horse let out for common hire
(2)
: a horse used in all kinds of work
b
: a horse worn out in service : jade
c
: a light easy saddle horse
especially : a three-gaited saddle horse
d
: a ride on a horse
3
a
: a person who works solely for mercenary reasons : hireling
party hacks
b
: a writer who works on order
also : a writer who aims solely for commercial success
c
: hacker sense 2
a tennis hack

hack

4 of 7

adjective

1
: working for hire especially with mediocre professional standards
a hack journalist
2
: performed by or suited to a person who works or writes purely for the purpose of earning money : characteristic of a hack : mediocre
hack writing
3
: hackneyed, trite
hack dramatic scenes

hack

5 of 7

verb (2)

hacked; hacking; hacks

intransitive verb

1
: to ride or drive at an ordinary pace or over the roads especially as distinguished from racing or hunting
2
: to operate a taxicab

transitive verb

: to ride (a horse) at an ordinary pace

hack

6 of 7

verb (3)

hacked; hacking; hacks

transitive verb

: to rear (a young hawk) in a state of partial liberty especially prior to the acquisition of flight and hunting capabilities

hack

7 of 7

noun (3)

slang
: a guard especially at a prison
Phrases
hack it
1
: cope entry 1 sense 1a
I can't hack it any longer.
2
: to be successful
couldn't hack it in the world of professional sports

Synonyms

Verb (1)

Noun (1)

Noun (2)

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of hack in a Sentence

Verb (1) I doubt that she can hack a job with so many responsibilities she's not sure she can hack that miserable job much longer Noun (1) smallish hacks made in the bark of the trees marked the trail through the forest completely stunned by a vicious hack across the neck Noun (2) after a week of hailing hacks and inhabiting hotels, the sales rep was happy to be home is he really any good at the piano or just a hack? Adjective the abrupt revelation of an enemy masquerading as a friend is such a hack plot twist
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Sharing lies that an election was hacked is a lot easier than hacking a voting machine. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 Is anyone concerned about someone hacking the vote? —Byandrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
What election narratives are foreign actors pushing? Expect false tales of voters tampering with mail-in ballots, non-citizens casting ballots and hacks of election infrastructure in social media posts. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 And, blockchain technology provides a robust security framework, reducing the risk of hacks and data breaches. —Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hack 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English hacken, hakken, going back to Old English *haccian (Class II weak verb, attested in the prefixed forms ahaccian "to hack out, peck out [eyes]," tohaccian "to hack to pieces"), going back to West Germanic *hakkō- (whence also Old Frisian tohakia "to hack to pieces," Middle Dutch hacken, haken "to cut with repeated blows," Middle High German hacken), of uncertain origin

Note: This West Germanic verb is conventionally connected to the etymon of hook entry 1, which is manifested in a variety of vowel grades, on the assumption that hacking or chopping might be done with a hook-shaped implement.

Noun (1)

Middle English hak, hacke, noun derivative of hacken "to hack entry 1"

Noun (2)

short for hackney entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of hack entry 3

Verb (2)

verbal derivative of hack entry 3

Verb (3)

verbal derivative of hack, noun, "board on which a hawk's food is placed, state of partial liberty under which a hawk is kept before training," of uncertain origin

Note: The noun has been taken as a derivative of hack entry 1, on the assumption that "hacked," i.e. chopped, food was placed on such a board; this appears to gain credence from a passage in a fifteenth-century manual of falconry (British Library MS. Harley 2340): "se hym euer to hackynge … and till he flyethe fro tre to tre, he woll come to hackynge; then he woll not come, but thu moste hacke and leue his mete opon a borde in his neste" (see A.E.H. Swaen, "The booke of Hawkyng after prince Edwarde Kyng of Englande and its relation to the Book of St Albans," Studia Neophilogica, vol. 16 [1943], p. 26).

Noun (3)

perhaps sense development of hack entry 3

First Known Use

Verb (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Adjective

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1800, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (3)

1873, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hack was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing hack

Dictionary Entries Near hack

hacienda

hack

hackamatak

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Hack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hack. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

hack

1 of 5 verb
ˈhak How to pronounce hack (audio)
1
: to cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blows
2
: to cough in a short dry manner
3
a
: to write computer programs for enjoyment
b
: to gain access to a computer illegally
4
informal : to manage successfully
couldn't hack the job

hack

2 of 5 noun
1
: nick entry 1 sense 1, notch
2
: a short dry cough
3
a
: a creatively improvised solution to a computer problem
b
: an act of gaining or trying to gain illegal access to a computer or computer system
c
: a clever tip or technique for doing or improving something

hack

3 of 5 noun
1
a
: a horse that can be hired for use by the public
b
: a horse used in all kinds of work
c
: a worn-out horse
d
: a light saddle horse
2
a
: hackney entry 1 sense 2
b
: taxicab
c
: a driver of a taxicab
3
a
: a writer who works mainly for hire
b
: one who serves a cause merely for reward
political hacks
c
: hacker sense 2

hack

4 of 5 adjective
1
: working for hire especially with mediocre standards
a hack writer
2
: done by or characteristic of a hack
hack writing

hack

5 of 5 verb
1
: to ride or drive at an ordinary pace or over the roads rather than across country
2
: to operate a taxicab
Etymology

Verb

Old English -haccian "to cut with repeated blows"

Noun

a shortened form of hackney

Medical Definition

hack

1 of 2 intransitive verb
ˈhak How to pronounce hack (audio)
: to cough in a short dry manner

hack

2 of 2 noun
: a short dry cough

More from Merriam-Webster on hack

Nglish: Translation of hack for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hack for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...