whale
gb/wˈeɪl/ us/wˈeɪl/
A2
English
~ 9100
bálna, behemót, óriási, hatalmas, nagy költekező, püföl, elver, bálnavadászik
NOUN
A2
1
bálna
A2
Usage pattern:
a/the whale [verb]
We saw a humpback whale surface right next to the boat.
Láttuk, ahogy egy hosszúszárnyú bálna közvetlenül a hajó mellett feljött a felszínre.
Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on Earth.
A kék bálnák a valaha élt legnagyobb állatok a Földön.
Noise from ships can interfere with whale communication.
The documentary followed a gray whale on its long migration.
Commercial hunting pushed several whale species close to extinction.
Learner examples
The whale comes up to breathe air.
A bálna feljön levegőt venni.
We went on a boat to watch whales.
Hajóval mentünk bálnákat nézni.
A blue whale is bigger than any dinosaur.
Many people want to protect whales.
Whales live in the ocean, not in rivers.
Common mistake:
Learners often call whales 'fish'. In English, whales are mammals, not fish, because they breathe air, are warm-blooded, and feed milk to their young.
Meaning
very large sea-dwelling mammal
Collocations
blue whale
|humpback whale
|whale watching
|whale song
|whale conservation
|whale population
Synonyms
marine mammal (More general; includes dolphins and seals, not only whales.)
|
cetacean (Technical and scientific term for whales, dolphins, and porpoises.)
Themes
animals
|nature
|science
|ocean
Definition
A very big animal that lives in the sea, breathes air, and is not a fish, for example the blue whale.
A very large marine mammal that breathes air through a blowhole, lives in the ocean, and includes species such as blue whales and humpback whales.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
a whale of [something]
That new SUV is a real whale and barely fits in the parking space.
Az az új szabadidő-autó igazi behemót, alig fér el a parkolóhelyen.
The company landed a whale of a contract with the government.
A cég hatalmas kormányzati szerződést nyert el.
We had a whale of a storm last night, and several trees came down.
Fixing this bug turned into a whale of a job.
He’s a whale of a drummer, even though he’s only sixteen.
Learner examples
That truck is a real whale; it is huge.
Az a teherautó igazi behemót; hatalmas.
This is a whale of a problem for our small team.
Ez hatalmas probléma a kis csapatunknak.
They won a whale of a prize in the contest.
We had a whale of a game, and everyone was very tired.
The party was a whale of a success.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this always refers to the animal. In expressions like 'a whale of a problem' or 'a real whale of a car', it means 'very big' or 'very impressive', not the sea animal.
Meaning
someone or something extremely large
Collocations
a whale of a story
|a whale of a problem
|a whale of a time
|a real whale
|an absolute whale
Synonyms
giant (Common neutral noun for something very big; does not have the playful tone of 'whale'.)
|
colossus (More formal and dramatic; often used for very big or powerful things.)
Antonyms
pipsqueak (Informal word for someone very small or unimportant, the opposite of a 'whale' in size or impact.)
Themes
description
|size
|informal
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Someone or something that is very, very big.
A person or thing that is extremely large in size, amount, or degree.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
3
bálna
C1
Usage pattern:
[company/casino] treats [someone] as a whale
The casino flew in several whales on private jets for the weekend.
A kaszinó több bálnát is magángépekkel röptetett be a hétvégére.
Free gifts and luxury suites are used to keep whales coming back.
A bálnákat ajándékokkal és luxuslakosztályokkal csábítják vissza újra meg újra.
In many mobile games, a tiny number of whales generate most of the revenue.
Marketing teams analyze data to identify potential whales among their users.
Crypto whales can move the market when they buy or sell large amounts of a coin.
Learner examples
The casino calls its richest players whales.
A kaszinó a leggazdagabb játékosait bálnáknak nevezi.
Only a few whales pay for most players in that phone game.
Abban a mobiljátékban csak néhány bálna fizet, és az ő pénzükből tartják fenn a játékot a legtöbb játékos számára.
They give special rooms and gifts to whales.
A whale can lose or win millions in one night.
The company watches the data to find new whales.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this always refers to the animal. In business or gambling stories, 'whale' often means a very rich customer or gambler, especially when talking about casinos, crypto, or mobile games.
Meaning
very big-spending gambler or client
Collocations
casino whale
|high-roller whale
|attract whales
|identify whales
|mobile-game whales
|crypto whales
Synonyms
high roller (Standard term in gambling for someone who bets large amounts; 'whale' often suggests even larger stakes or special treatment.)
|
big spender (General informal term; not limited to casinos or games.)
Antonyms
small-time player (Someone who bets or spends very little, the opposite of a big-spending 'whale'.)
Themes
gambling
|business
|marketing
|finance
Definition
A person who spends a lot more money than most other people in a casino, game, or business.
In gambling, marketing, or online games, a person who regularly spends very large amounts of money, especially compared to typical players or customers.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
to whale on [someone/something]
The crowd watched as he whaled on the punching bag for a full minute.
A tömeg azt nézte, ahogy egy teljes percig püfölte a bokszzsákot.
The team just whaled on their rivals in the second half.
A csapat a második félidőben alaposan elverte a riválisait.
She whaled away at the keyboard, trying to finish the report on time.
He started whaling on the old TV with a hammer.
The drummer absolutely whaled on the drums during the final song.
Learner examples
He whaled on the punching bag until he was tired.
Addig püfölte a bokszzsákot, amíg el nem fáradt.
The stronger team whaled on the other team.
Az erősebb csapat alaposan elverte a másik csapatot.
She whaled away at the door, trying to open it.
The boy whaled on the game controller in anger.
The player whaled on the ball and scored.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'wail', which means to cry or make a long sad sound. 'Whale on' means to hit very hard; 'wail' has no 'h' and is about crying or loud sound.
Meaning
to hit or attack very hard
Collocations
whale on him
|whale away at the ball
|whale on the punching bag
|whale on the opposition
|whaled him in the face
Synonyms
pummel (Suggests many hard hits, especially with fists, similar strength but slightly more formal.)
|
pound (To hit hard, but can also be used for non-violent things like 'pound the door'.)
Antonyms
protect (To keep someone or something safe from being hit or harmed, the opposite of attacking or hitting.)
Themes
violence
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To hit someone or something again and again, very hard.
To hit, strike, or attack someone or something very hard, often repeatedly.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
to whale in [area]
Several countries used to whale intensively in these waters.
Több ország korábban intenzíven bálnavadászott ezeken a vizeken.
They whaled for decades before international rules were introduced.
Évtizedeken át bálnavadásztak, mielőtt bevezették a nemzetközi szabályokat.
Only a few communities are still allowed to whale under traditional rights.
The company stopped whaling after a global outcry.
Nations that continue to whale face strong criticism from environmental groups.
Learner examples
People used to whale in this sea many years ago.
Sok évvel ezelőtt az emberek bálnavadásztak ezen a tengeren.
Some groups still whale, but many others want to stop it.
Néhány csoport még mindig bálnavadászik, de sokan szeretnék ezt megállítani.
The law now makes it hard for companies to whale.
They do not whale here anymore because the whales are in danger.
The country said it would whale less in the future.
Common mistake:
Learners may know the noun 'whaling' but not realize 'to whale' can mean 'to hunt whales'. This verb use is mostly historical or used in discussions about the whaling industry.
Meaning
to hunt whales commercially
Collocations
hunt whales
|commercial whaling
|ban whaling
|illegal whaling
|whaling ship
|whale meat
Synonyms
hunt whales (More transparent phrase that clearly states the object; same activity as 'to whale'.)
Antonyms
protect whales (To keep whales safe instead of hunting them.)
Themes
animals
|hunting
|environment
|nature
Definition
To hunt and kill whales, usually to sell their meat or other parts.
To hunt and kill whales, especially for commercial purposes such as meat or oil.
Grammar
Dictionary form
whale
IPA
GB/wˈeɪl/
US/wˈeɪl/
Syllables & stress
whale (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (whale)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: whale
- Plural: whale, whales
Word family
Forms
whales
noun
Related words
whaling
noun
whaler
noun
Advanced or less common
whalebone
noun
Expressions
a whale of a
1/ə wˈeɪl əv ə/
idiom
informal
extremely big or impressive
Used before a noun to say that something is very big, very great, or very impressive.
Examples
- It was a whale of a game, with three goals in the last five minutes.
- They’re dealing with a whale of a problem after the data leak.
- She told a whale of a story about her travels.
have a whale of a time
1/hˈæv ə wˈeɪl əv ə tˈaɪm/
idiom
informal
to enjoy something a lot
To have a lot of fun; to enjoy an activity very much.
Examples
- The kids had a whale of a time at the amusement park.
- We had a whale of a time on our trip to Spain.
whale away at [someone/something]
1/wˈeɪl əwˈeɪ ˈæt sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
informal
to hit or work very hard at
To keep hitting something very hard, or to keep working very hard on something.
Examples
- He whaled away at the punching bag for half an hour.
- She sat at her desk and whaled away at the report until midnight.
whale on [someone/something]
1/wˈeɪl ˈɔn sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
informal
to hit or attack fiercely
To hit or attack someone or something again and again, very hard.
Examples
- The bully started to whale on the smaller boy before teachers arrived.
- He whaled on the old printer when it stopped working again.