- 1 a movement with the foot or the leg, usually to hit something with the foot the first kick of the game She gave him a kick on the shin. He aimed a kick at the dog. If the door won't open, give it a kick. (slang) She needs a kick up the backside (= she needs to be strongly encouraged to do something or to behave better). see also free kick, penalty kick, spot kick Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivegood, hard, hefty, … verb + kickgive somebody/something, aim, deliver, … prepositionkick at, kick by, kick from, … See full entry
- 2(informal) a strong feeling of excitement and pleasure synonym thrill I get a kick out of driving fast cars. He gets his kicks from hurting other people. What do you do for kicks? Wordfinderadventureadrenaline, adventure, attempt, challenge, enthusiasm, escapade, excitement, explore, kick, thrill Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebig, great, huge, … verb + kickget, give somebody prepositionfor kicks See full entry
- 3[usually singular] (informal) the strong effect that a drug or an alcoholic drink has This drink has quite a kick.
- 4[usually plural] (North American English, informal) a soft shoe that you wear for sports or as informal clothing The actor wore denim, a simple tee and a nice pair of kicks. compare sneaker, trainer (1) Word Originlate Middle English: of unknown origin.Extra examples He gets a real kick out of fixing something so that it can be used again. He had received a painful kick on the knee. It gave the youngsters a kick to see their own play on television. Olivia leapt forward with a high karate kick. Roy landed a kick to the man’s head. She gave him a hard kick to the stomach. They don’t really want the things they steal. They just do it for kicks. This city could use a good kick in the pants. a kick at goal a kick from Maynard in the last minute of the game a kick in the stomach a kick on the ankle a kick to the ribs an energetic performer using dance routines and high kicks He gets his kicks from skiing. What do you do for kicks?Idioms
(informal) a great disappointment; something that hurts somebody/something emotionally The job losses are a kick in the teeth for the union.
Check pronunciation: kick
