whale away
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To keep hitting something very hard, or to work at something with a lot of energy.
Meanings
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."
Grammar: inseparable
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."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
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.
Commonly used with
drums keys opponent problem task
Forms
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
Understand "whale away" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "whale away" on Looplines