Definition of "whammy" []

• Slang A supernatural spell for subduing an adversary; a hex: put the whammy on someone. (noun)
• Slang A serious or devastating setback: "The triple whammy: government cuts, declining corporate giving, and less favorable tax laws” ( New York Times). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But what seems to be a double whammy is that with Social Networks is if you want you can be anonymous and reach out and make a new connection."
• "This time it's a double whammy from a single family, with Federal Housing Finance Board Chairman John T. Korsmo and his wife Michelle, who has worked as deputy chief of staff to Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao, coming under fire from the Justice Deparment for obstruction of justice in an investigation of campaign finance irregularities."
• "So older people who skimp on protein really get a double whammy, which is why they are often vitamin B12 deficient."