1 C1 idiomatic informal
To hit something or someone repeatedly and with great force.
"The drummer whaled away at the kit throughout the entire set without taking a break."
inseparable
whale away
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
To hit, attack, or work at something continuously and with great force or energy.
In plain English
To keep hitting something very hard, or to work at something with a lot of energy.
What does "whale away" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To work at something persistently and with great effort.
"She whaled away at the math problem for over an hour before finally solving it."
inseparable
Usage tip
Chiefly American informal. Usually followed by 'at': 'whale away at something.' The verb 'whale' here likely derives from an old dialectal word meaning to thrash, unrelated to the marine animal.
Words that pair with "whale away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
drums keys opponent problem task
How to conjugate "whale away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
whale away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
whales away
he/she/it
Past simple
whaled away
yesterday
Past participle
whaled away
have + pp
-ing form
whaling away
continuous
Hear "whale away" in the wild
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