whump

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A genre of fan fiction in which a character endures injury, torture, or other forms of physical and mental suffering.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

By embracing dark genres of slash such as ‘squick’ and ‘whump’, the art of mythagowood purposely skirts parameters of taste and acceptability.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “whump” mean?

A genre of fan fiction in which a character endures injury, torture, or other forms of physical and mental suffering.

Is “whump” formal or informal?

whump is generally slang.