en
whammy
/ˈwæm.i/
Definition
1
An imaginary curse, hex, or spell believed to bring bad luck or misfortune.
2
A sudden or severe setback, blow, or disaster, often compounded as 'double whammy' for two such events.
3
In game shows like Press Your Luck, a cartoonish villain that causes a player to lose all accumulated points or money.
Examples
After forgetting his lines, tripping on stage, and having his fly open mid-speech, the comedian suffered a triple whammy.
The dieter's fridge broke during a heatwave while his gym membership mysteriously expired – talk about a whammy.
She cast a playful whammy on her rival's coffee, and wouldn't you know, it tasted like decaf all morning.
Hitting the whammy on that old game show felt like the universe's way of saying 'better luck next spin, champ.'