pack a punch

pack a punch

English

Verb

pack a punch

1. (informal) To be capable of throwing a strong punch.
   • 1930 Victor R. Daly, "Private Walker Goes Patrolling," The Crisis, Vol. 37, No. 6 (June 1930), p199

     Memphis Bill was known to pack a punch.

   • 2009 Mary Fitzpatrick, Lonely Planet East Africa, Lonely Planet, p77

     If gorillas do fight, injuries can be very serious as these animals have long canine teeth and silverbacks pack a punch estimated at eight times stronger than a heavyweight boxer.

2. (informal) To be capable of having a swift and powerful effect.
   • 1942 Robert Allen Griffin, School of the citizen soldier: adapted from the educational program of the Second Army, Lieutenant General Ben Lear, commanding, D. Appleton-Century Company, Incorporated, p500

     They go in for statements, slogans, cartoons, pictures, and posters that "pack a punch."

   • 2003 Ronald A. Berk, Professors are from Mars, students are from Snickers: how to write and deliver humor in the classroom and in professional presentations, Stylus Publishing, LLC., p30

     Second, prepare the choices as one-liners. Each one should pack a punch and be so polished that it will jump off the screen into the minds of the audience and create a funny picture.

Usage notes

• Various adjectives may be used before punch to serve as intensifiers; for example, the forms pack a powerful punch, pack a serious punch, and pack a hefty punch are all well attested.

Synonyms

• (able to throw a punch): pack a wallop
• (have a powerful effect): pack a wallop