hack

[ hak ]

/ hæk /

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See synonyms for: hack / hacked / hacker / hackest on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to cut, notch, slice, chop, or sever (something) with or as with heavy, irregular blows (often followed by up or down): to hack meat; to hack down trees.

to break up the surface of (the ground).

to clear (a road, path, etc.) by cutting away vines, trees, brush, or the like: They hacked a trail through the jungle.

to damage or injure by crude, harsh, or insensitive treatment; mutilate; mangle: The editor hacked the story to bits.

to reduce or cut ruthlessly; trim: The Senate hacked the budget severely before returning it to the House.

Slang. to deal or cope with; handle: He can't hack all this commuting.

Computers.

to modify (a computer program or electronic device) or write (a program) in a skillful or clever way: Developers have hacked the app.I hacked my tablet to do some very cool things.
to circumvent security and break into (a network, computer, file, etc.), often with malicious intent: Criminals hacked the bank's servers yesterday.Our cybersecurity team systematically hacks our network to find vulnerabilities.

Informal. to make use of a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing (something): to hack a classic recipe;to hack your weekend with healthy habits.

Basketball. to strike the arm of (an opposing ball handler): He got a penalty for hacking the shooter.

British. to kick or kick at the shins of (an opposing player) in Rugby football.

South Midland and Southern U.S. to embarrass, annoy, or disconcert.

verb (used without object)

to make rough cuts or notches; deal cutting blows.

to cough harshly, usually in short and repeated spasms.

Computers.

to modify a computer program or electronic device in a skillful or clever way: to hack around with HTML;It's pretty easy to hack with scripts.
to break into a network, computer, file, etc., often with malicious intent: Students tried to hack into their school server to change their grades.

Tennis.

to take a poor, ineffective, or awkward swing at the ball.
to play tennis at a mediocre level.

British. to kick or kick at an opponent's shins in Rugby football.

noun

a cut, gash, or notch.

a tool, as an ax, hoe, or pick, for hacking.

an act or instance of hacking; a cutting blow.

a short, rasping dry cough.

a hesitation in speech.

Computers.

a piece of code that modifies a computer program in a skillful or clever way: software hacks.
an act or instance of breaking into a network, computer, file, etc., often with malicious intent (often used attributively): a hack on our system;a recent hack attack.

Informal. a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing something: hacks for holiday entertaining;parenting hacks.

Curling. an indentation made in the ice at the foot score, for supporting the foot in delivering the stone.

British. a gash in the skin produced by a kick, as in Rugby football.

Verb Phrases

hack around, Slang. to pass the time idly; indulge in idle talk.

OTHER WORDS FOR hack

1 mangle, haggle.

See synonyms for hack on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about hack

hack it, Slang. to handle or cope with a situation or an assignment adequately and calmly: The new recruit just can't hack it.

Origin of hack

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English hacken; compare Old English ahaccian “to hack out,” tōhaccian “to hack to pieces”; cognate with Dutch hakken, German hacken

synonym study for hack

1. See cut.

Words nearby hack

hachoo, hachure, hacienda, haciendado, Hacienda Heights, hack, hackamore, hackathon, hackberry, hack board, hackbut

Other definitions for hack (2 of 3)

hack²

[ hak ]

/ hæk /

noun

a person, such as an artist or writer, who exploits their creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre work for money in the hope of gaining commercial success in the arts: As a painter, he was little more than a hack.

a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc., in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment: The senator was widely considered a mere political hack.

a writer who works on the staff of a publisher at a dull or routine task; someone who works as a literary drudge: He was one among the many hacks on Grub Street.

British.

a horse kept for common hire or adapted for general work, especially ordinary riding.
a saddle horse used for transportation, rather than for show, hunting, or the like.

an old or worn-out horse; jade.

a coach or carriage kept for hire; hackney.

Informal.

a taxi.
Also hackie . a cabdriver.

Slang. a prison guard.

verb (used with object)

to make a hack of; let out for hire.

to make trite or stale by frequent use; hackney.

verb (used without object)

Informal. to drive a taxi.

to ride or drive on the road at an ordinary pace, as distinguished from cross-country riding or racing.

British. to rent a horse, especially by the hour.

adjective

hired as a hack; of a hired sort: a hack writer; hack work.

hackneyed; trite; banal: hack writing.

OTHER WORDS FOR hack

3 scribbler.

9 lease, rent.

See synonyms for hack on Thesaurus.com

Origin of hack

First recorded in 1680–90; short for hackney

Other definitions for hack (3 of 3)

hack³

[ hak ]

/ hæk /

noun

a rack for drying food, as fish.

a rack for holding fodder for livestock.

a low pile of unburnt bricks in the course of drying.

verb (used with object)

to place (something) on a hack, as for drying or feeding.

Falconry. to train (a young hawk) by letting it fly freely and feeding it at a hack board or a hack house.

Origin of hack

First recorded in 1565–75; variant of hatch²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hack in a sentence

One of my favorite in-a-pinch hacks is to lock my bike to the metal of a few grocery carts, especially if there’s no good bike rack or post around.
The most secure ways to lock up your bike|By Michael Frank/Cycle Volta|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
Whether it’s been TikTok cheering on DogeCoin or a twenty-something hacking into high-profile Twitter accounts and asking for Bitcoin, 2020 might just be the year everyone from teens to nonagenarians learns about cryptocurrencies and digital money.
Why 2020 might be the year cryptocurrency goes mainstream|jakemeth|August 24, 2020|Fortune
NSO declined to comment on the alleged WhatsApp hack, since it is still an active case.
Inside NSO, Israel’s billion-dollar spyware giant|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
A hack or leak could open citizens up to identity theft, fraud, or worse.
Brazil is sliding into techno-authoritarianism|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Targets in Morocco have reportedly experienced “network injection” hacks that raise no alarm, require no cooperation from the victim, and leave little trace.
The man who built a spyware empire says it’s time to come out of the shadows|Bobbie Johnson|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The debate over who really pulled off the Sony hack, then, could continue indefinitely.
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Another set of hackers that goes by the name the Lizard Squad told the Washington Post that they helped with the Sony hack.
U.S. Spies Say They Tracked ‘Sony Hackers’ For Years|Shane Harris|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Bureau keeps publicly condemning Pyongyang for the Sony hack.
FBI Won’t Stop Blaming North Korea for Sony Hack -- Despite New Evidence|Shane Harris|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And U.S. lawmakers are pushing to involve China in any retaliation against the Sony hack.
Obama Could Hit China to Punish North Korea|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to reports on Friday, the FBI has determinedthat North Korea was behind the hack.
Hackers: Sony ‘Very Wise’ to Pull Film|The Daily Beast|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After a brief reflection, he called a hack-cabriolet, and bade the man drive towards Bethnal Green.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens
Make an engagement with the hackman, to take you only in his hack, and enquire his charge before starting.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
We engaged an experienced hack-driver, who combined with his vocation the qualities of a well informed guide as well.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
For until the production of his play in January, he had somehow to keep alive, and that meant more hack-work.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
But the King comes hack again against Monday to raise the Parliament.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete|Samuel Pepys

British Dictionary definitions for hack (1 of 3)

hack¹

/ (hæk) /

verb

(when intr, usually foll by at or away) to cut or chop (at) irregularly, roughly, or violently

to cut and clear (a way, path, etc), as through undergrowth

(in sport, esp rugby) to foul (an opposing player) by kicking or striking his shins

basketball to commit the foul of striking (an opposing player) on the arm

(intr) to cough in short dry spasmodic bursts

(tr) to reduce or cut (a story, article, etc) in a damaging way

to manipulate a computer program skilfully, esp, to gain unauthorized access to another computer system

(tr) slang to tolerate; cope withI joined the army but I couldn't hack it

hack to bits to damage severelyhis reputation was hacked to bits

noun

a cut, chop, notch, or gash, esp as made by a knife or axe

any tool used for shallow digging, such as a mattock or pick

a chopping blow

a dry spasmodic cough

a kick on the shins, as in rugby

a wound from a sharp kick

Word Origin for hack

Old English haccian; related to Old Frisian hackia, Middle High German hacken

British Dictionary definitions for hack (2 of 3)

hack²

/ (hæk) /

noun

a horse kept for riding or (more rarely) for driving

an old, ill-bred, or overworked horse

a horse kept for hire

British a country ride on horseback

a drudge

a person who produces mediocre literary or journalistic work

Also called: hackney US a coach or carriage that is for hire

Also called: hackie US informal

a cab driver
a taxi

verb

British to ride (a horse) cross-country for pleasure

(tr) to let (a horse) out for hire

(tr) informal to write (an article) as or in the manner of a hack

(intr) US informal to drive a taxi

adjective

(prenominal) banal, mediocre, or unoriginalhack writing

Word Origin for hack

C17: short for hackney

British Dictionary definitions for hack (3 of 3)

hack³

/ (hæk) /

noun

a rack used for fodder for livestock

a board on which meat is placed for a hawk

a pile or row of unfired bricks stacked to dry

verb (tr)

to place (fodder) in a hack

to place (bricks) in a hack

Word Origin for hack

C16: variant of hatch ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hack

OTHER WORDS FOR hack

Idioms about hack

Origin of hack

synonym study for hack

Words nearby hack

Other definitions for hack (2 of 3)

OTHER WORDS FOR hack

Origin of hack

Other definitions for hack (3 of 3)

Origin of hack

Words related to hack

How to use hack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hack (1 of 3)

Word Origin for hack

British Dictionary definitions for hack (2 of 3)

Word Origin for hack

British Dictionary definitions for hack (3 of 3)

Word Origin for hack