double whammy

[ duhb-uhl wam-ee, hwam-ee ]

noun

, Informal.

1. two devastating problems, setbacks, or catastrophes:

   The double whammy of insomnia and sleep apnea can make a night's rest almost impossible.

2. any doubled quantity or set of two:

   Visiting the sandwich shop and the ice cream shop makes a delightful savory-sweet double whammy for lunch.

Word History and Origins

Origin of double whammy¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Mr Machin said he "didn't quite see the double whammy coming up", referring to both the NI rise for employers and the reduction of the threshold for it applying.

From BBC

“We're going to have increased drinking water bills and wastewater bills, and we're going to continue being exposed to these pollutants by buying these products. So we’re getting a double whammy,” said Emily Remmel, senior director of regulatory affairs at the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, a trade group representing public wastewater and stormwater utilities.

From Salon

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Angelenos will get their first peek at a double whammy astrological delight — a Hunter’s moon that also happens to be a supermoon.

From Los Angeles Times

Small businesses are more dependent on bank financing, and in the last two years have faced a double whammy of high inflation and high borrowing costs.

From Los Angeles Times

The effects of Somalia’s climate change “double whammy” are all too evident in the hunger clinic the Red Cross runs in a hospital in the port city of Kismayo on the south coast.

From BBC