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

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."

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 notes

In 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

swatting →

Common pairings

swat a fly swat away get swatted

Word forms

swatted past tense, swatted past tense, swats singular, swats singular

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Etymology

A variant spelling of "squat," originally describing a quick striking motion.

Rhymes for swat

wat twat

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.