noun

whammy

WAM-ee/ˈwæmi/

A supposedly harmful magical influence.

She thinks the old witch has put a whammy on her.

A tradesman arrives with his tool bag to find his work van crushed by a fallen tree: a visibly serious, disabling setback.

Etymology

An early recorded sense is “hex” or “evil eye,” often in “double whammy.” The origin is unknown; the selected modern sense concerns a damaging setback.

In context

VCU Internal Medicine VCUHS54:39

it not only has increased resorption but it also has decreased formation and this double whammy causes 50 of adolescents with one year of anorexia to have osteopenia

'Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia', presented by Dr. Philip Mehler

More examples

He wears a charm to ward off a whammy.
In the story, the sorcerer puts a whammy on the king.
They blame their bad luck on a neighbor's whammy.

Forms

whammy · whammies

Similar words

hex: Emphasizes a harmful spell cast by a witch.
curse: More general term for a spell meant to cause harm.
jinx: Often suggests persistent bad luck rather than deliberate magic.