1. Any of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head
   "We saw a humpback whale breach the surface"
    
2. A very large person; impressive in size or qualities
   "The seven-foot whale towered over everyone in the room";
   - giant, hulk, heavyweight
    
3. [informal] Something very large of its kind
   "The project turned out to be a whale of a job"
    
4. [informal] (finance) an investor who holds a large amount of cryptocurrency or has a significant impact on the market
   "The crypto whale's large sell-off caused a temporary dip in prices"

1. Hunt for whales
   "The ship whaled in the Arctic waters"
    
2. [N. Amer, informal] Beat severely with a whip or rod
   "The sailor was whaled for disobedience";
   - flog, welt, whip, lather, lash, slash, strap, trounce
    
3. [N. Amer, informal] Beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight
   "Our team whaled the opposition";
   - cream [informal], clobber [informal], drub [informal], thrash [informal], lick [informal], paste [informal], blow away [informal], muller [Brit, informal], marmelize [Brit, informal], marmelise [Brit, informal], trounce, hammer [informal], wipe the floor [informal], marmalise [Brit, informal], beat hollow [informal], slaughter [informal], marmalize [Brit, informal], smoke [N. Amer, informal], shellack [N. Amer, informal], shellac [N. Amer, informal]

Sounds like: wade, weighed, whal

Derived forms: whales, whaled, whaling

Type of: beat, beat out, beat up, blower, cetacean, cetacean mammal, crush, hunt, hunt down, large person, run, shell [US], track down, trounce, vanquish, work over [informal]

Encyclopedia: Whale, James