spanking
8 synonyms for spanking, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A punishment involving smacking someone, usually a child, on the buttocks.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A punishment involving smacking someone, usually a child, on the buttocks.
“He got a spanking for breaking the neighbor's window.”
How to use spanking
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
brand spanking new
give a spanking
Etymology
Formed from spank ("to punish by swatting") plus -ing, both the participial suffix and the gerundial suffix.
Full origin of spanking →