Whopper
/ˈwɒpə(r)/noun
A person or thing that is unusually large, remarkable, or sometimes an extravagant lie.
Did you know?The word developed from the expressive verb “whop,” meaning to strike or beat heavily, linking its sense of overwhelming size to the force of a blow.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
whop
“To strike or beat forcefully; an expressive sound-symbolic verb.”
16th–17th Century
English
whap
“A variant of “whop,” meaning to strike with a heavy blow.”
18th Century
English
whopper
“A large or unusually impressive person or thing, formed with the agent/object suffix -er.”
19th Century
English
whopper
“Something unusually large, remarkable, or extraordinary.”
19th–20th Century
English
whopper
“An extravagant or grossly exaggerated statement—a very large lie.”
Modern English
English
Whopper
“A branded hamburger; lowercase “whopper” still means something exceptionally large or an exaggerated claim.”