kick

[[t]kɪ̱k[/t]]

♦♦

kicks, kicking, kicked

1) VERB If you kick someone or something, you hit them forcefully with your foot.

[V n] He kicked the door hard...

He threw me to the ground and started to kick...

[V n with adj] He escaped by kicking open the window...

[V n in n] The fiery actress kicked him in the shins...

[V n to n] An ostrich can kick a man to death.

N-COUNT

Kick is also a noun.

He suffered a kick to the knee.

2) VERB When you kick a ball or other object, you hit it with your foot so that it moves through the air.

[V n] I went to kick the ball and I completely missed it...

[V n with adv] He kicked the ball away...

[V n prep] A furious player kicked his racket into the grandstand.

N-COUNT

Kick is also a noun.

Schmeichel swooped to save the first kick from Borisov.

3) VERB If you kick or if you kick your legs, you move your legs with very quick, small, and forceful movements, once or repeatedly.

They were dragged away struggling and kicking...

[V n] First he kicked the left leg, then he kicked the right...

[V n adv/prep] He kicked his feet away from the window. [Also V prep]

PHRASAL VERB

Kick out means the same as kick.

V P As its rider tried to free it, the horse kicked out and rolled over, crushing her.

4) VERB If you kick your legs, you lift your legs up very high one after the other, for example when you are dancing.

[V n] ...kicking his legs like a Can Can dancer...

[V n adj] She begins dancing, kicking her legs high in the air.

5) VERB If you kick a habit, you stop doing something that is bad for you and that you find difficult to stop doing. [INFORMAL]

[V n] She's kicked her drug habit and learned that her life has value...

[V n] I've kicked cigarettes, heroin, and booze.

6) N-SING: a N If something gives you a kick, it makes you feel very excited or very happy for a short period of time. [INFORMAL]

I got a kick out of seeing my name in print.

7) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone kicks you when you are down, you think they are behaving unfairly because they are attacking you when you are in a weak position.

In the end I just couldn't kick Jimmy when he was down.

8) PHRASE: PHR after v If you say that someone does something for kicks, you mean that they do it because they think it will be exciting. [INFORMAL]

They made a few small bets for kicks.

Syn:

for fun

9) PHRASE: PHR after v, oft PHR into n/-ing (emphasis) If you say that someone is dragged kicking and screaming into a particular course of action, you are emphasizing that they are very unwilling to do what they are being made to do.

He had to be dragged kicking and screaming into action.

10) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, PHR after v (emphasis) If you describe an event as a kick in the teeth, you are emphasizing that it is very disappointing and upsetting. [INFORMAL]

We've been struggling for years and it's a real kick in the teeth to see a new band make it ahead of us.

Syn:

setback

11) PHRASE: V inflects (feelings) You use kick yourself in expressions such as I could have kicked myself and you're going to kick yourself to indicate that you were annoyed or are going to be annoyed that you got something wrong.

I was still kicking myself for not paying attention...

I immediately regretted having said this - I could have kicked myself.

12) alive and kicking → see alive

kick someone's ass → see ass

kick the bucket → see bucket

kick up a fuss → see fuss

Phrasal Verbs:

- kick against

- kick around

- kick back

- kick down

- kick in

- kick in

- kick off

- kick out

- kick up