verb
Uncommon
swat
swot
Swat (verb) means to hit something sharply and quickly, especially an insect. Example: “She swatted the fly off the table.”
verb
1
To hit something sharply and quickly, especially an insect.
"She swatted the fly off the table."
"He swatted at the mosquito buzzing near his ear."
2
To make a false emergency call designed to trick armed police into raiding someone's home.
"The streamer was swatted live on camera after a viewer called in a fake hostage report."
How to use swat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo slap or strike quickly (usually at a bug), or, as slang, to send armed police to someone's address with a fake emergency report.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
swat a fly
swat away
get swatted
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- swats
- Past tense
- swatted
Etymology
A variant spelling of "squat," originally describing a quick striking motion.
Rhymes for swat
See all rhymes for swat →Frequently asked questions
What does “swat” mean?
The word “swat” means to hit something sharply and quickly, especially an insect. In plain terms, to slap or strike quickly (usually at a bug), or, as slang, to send armed police to someone's address with a fake emergency report.
How do you pronounce “swat”?
“Swat” is pronounced swot (/swɑt/ in IPA).
How do you use “swat” in a sentence?
Here is “swat” used in a sentence: “She swatted the fly off the table.”
What part of speech is “swat”?
“Swat” is a verb.
Is “swat” a common word?
“Swat” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “swat” have?
“Swat” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to hit something sharply and quickly, especially an insect.
