pack a punch
English
[edit]Verb
[edit]pack a punch (third-person singular simple present packs a punch, present participle packing a punch, simple past and past participle packed a punch)
- (informal) To be capable of throwing a strong punch.
- 1930 June, Victor R. Daly, “Private Walker Goes Patrolling”, in The Crisis, volume 37, number 6, page 199:
- Memphis Bill was known to pack a punch.
- 2009, Mary Fitzpatrick, Lonely Planet East Africa, Lonely Planet, page 77:
- If gorillas do fight, injuries can be very serious as these animals have long canine teeth and silverbacks pack a punch estimated at eight times stronger than a heavyweight boxer.
- (informal) To be capable of having a swift and powerful effect.
- 1942, Robert Allen Griffin, School of the citizen soldier: adapted from the educational program of the Second Army, Lieutenant General Ben Lear, commanding, D. Appleton-Century Company, Incorporated, page 500:
- They go in for statements, slogans, cartoons, pictures, and posters that "pack a punch."
- 2003, Ronald A. Berk, Professors are from Mars, students are from Snickers: how to write and deliver humor in the classroom and in professional presentations, Stylus Publishing, LLC., page 30:
- Second, prepare the choices as one-liners. Each one should pack a punch and be so polished that it will jump off the screen into the minds of the audience and create a funny picture.
- 2023 May 18, Christopher Clarey, “Even as He’s Out, Rafael Nadal Will Always Be a Part of the French Open”, in The New York Times[1]:
- It was a poignant scene that packed quite a punch with both champions — and plenty of observers — in tears as Federer called it a career.
Usage notes
[edit]- Various adjectives may be used before punch to serve as intensifiers; for example, the forms pack a powerful punch, pack a serious punch, and pack a hefty punch are all well attested.
Synonyms
[edit]- (able to throw a punch): pack a wallop
- (have a powerful effect): pack a wallop