kick

KIK/kɪk/

Verbkicks, kicking, kicked

Noun pluralkicks

32 meanings of kick

Practice

1
hit with footverbtransitive
To hit someone or something with your foot or leg.
My little brother kicked me under the table.
Please do not kick the seat in front of you.
UsageSay kick someone in the leg. Kick at means you try to kick.
Similarstrike, hit
2
nouncountable
A hit with your foot, leg, or knee.
His kick knocked the can off the wall.
She gave the door a hard kick.
UsageSay give something a kick, or a kick to the leg.
Similarblow
Note
3
throw outverbtransitive
To force someone to leave a place or group.
The manager kicked the troublemakers out of the bar.
They will kick you out if you break the rules.
UsageSay kick someone out of a place, or off a team.
Similarexpel, eject, oust, boot, remove
Note
4
verbtransitive
To send something somewhere by hitting it with your foot.
He kicked the ball into the goal.
Kick the stone over here so I can see it.
Similarboot, punt
5
move legsverbintransitive
To move your leg out quickly, as if to hit something.
The baby kicked happily in the crib.
Swimmers kick hard to move through the water.
Note
6
football passnouncountable
A pass made by kicking the ball to a teammate.
His long kick reached the striker near the goal.
A short kick to his teammate set up the winning goal.
Similarpass, ball
Note
7
thrillnouncolloquialcountable
A feeling of fun or excitement.
Like the happy rush you feel on an amusement park ride.
She gets a real kick out of surprising her friends.
Riding the roller coaster was a huge kick.
UsageSay get a kick out of something. For kicks means just for fun.
Similarthrill, buzz, charge, pleasure
8
spicy tastenounusually singular
A sharp, spicy taste in food or drink.
Like the warm sting of hot sauce on your tongue.
The salsa had a nice kick from the chili peppers.
Add some ginger to give the soup a kick.
UsageSay food has a kick, or give it a kick.
Similarzing, bite, punch, heat, tang
Note
9
be greatverbslangintransitive
To be extremely good or impressive.
Like a song so good you play it again and again.
Their new songs really kick, and I play them all day.
Everyone agrees the new album kicks.
UsageOften really kicks, said of music or food you love. Not for formal writing.
Similarrock, rule, excel, shine, slay
Oppositesuck, stink
Note
10
nouncountable
The act of swinging your foot or leg out.
Her kick sent water splashing everywhere.
He practiced his kick at the pool every day.
11
quit a habitverbslangtransitive
To stop a bad habit or get rid of a problem.
She finally kicked her smoking habit last year.
It takes real effort to kick a bad habit.
UsageMost often kick the habit, like smoking.
Similarbeat, quit, overcome, shake, break
12
strong effectnounusually singular
The strong effect you feel from alcohol or a drug.
The strong cider gave her a real kick.
He felt the kick of the whiskey almost at once.
Similarpunch, potency, strength, rush
13
verbtransitive
To move or push something suddenly and hard.
The truck's back wheels kicked mud all over our windshield.
Strong winds kick dust across the desert.
Similarpropel, thrust, drive, throw
14
passing crazenouncolloquialcountable
A short time when you are very keen on one activity or interest.
Sam is on a baking kick, so there are cookies all over the kitchen.
Last winter I was on a puzzle kick, but now the puzzles sit in the closet.
UsageSay be on a baking kick. It suggests a strong interest that may last only a short time.
Similarphase, craze, fad
15
verbtransitive
To get points or a goal by kicking the ball, in games like American football or rugby.
We need him to kick a field goal in the last minute.
She kicked three penalty goals in the rugby match on Saturday.
Similarscore
Note

Less common meanings

16
blame yourselfverbcolloquialreflexivetransitive
To be angry at yourself for a mistake or a missed chance.
I could kick myself for forgetting her birthday.
He kicked himself for not buying the tickets sooner.
UsageSay kick yourself for something. I could kick myself is common.
Similarblame, berate, reproach
Oppositecongratulate
Note
17
remove (online)verbtransitive
To remove someone from an online game or chat, usually as a punishment.
Like a referee sending a player off the field for a while.
The moderator kicked him from the chat for spamming.
Admins can kick players who break the rules.
UsageSay kick someone from a game or chat.
Similarboot
Note
18
sneakernouncolloquialusually plural
A shoe, especially a stylish sneaker that people like to show off.
She saved up for a pair of fresh kicks.
He scuffed one kick climbing over the fence.
UsageUsually kicks: a pair of kicks.
Similarsneaker, trainer, shoe
Note
19
dieverbslangintransitive
To die or stop being alive.
Who knows what will happen to his billions when the eighty-five-year-old kicks, but before he leaves the planet, Moon reportedly is hell-bent on creating a holy land in North Korea, dedicated to him.
2005, Melissa L. Rossi, What every American should know about who's really running the world
Similardie, perish, croak, expire
Note
20
a gun's recoilnounusually singular
The sudden push back that a gun gives when it is fired.
The shotgun's kick bruised his shoulder.
She wasn't ready for the rifle's strong kick.
Similarjolt
21
push backverbintransitive
To fight against something or refuse to accept it.
Like a child who says no to every idea a parent suggests.
The students kick against any rule they think is unfair.
He kicked against the plan from the very start.
UsageSay kick against something you do not accept.
Similarprotest, rebel, object, balk
22
nouncountable
The act of forcing someone out of an online game or chat.
Like being asked to step out of a room for a short while.
A quick kick from the admin ended his spamming.
After the kick, she could not rejoin the game for an hour.
Similarejection, removal
Note
23
burst of speednouncountable
A burst of extra speed near the end of a race.
Like saving some energy so you can run fastest right at the finish.
Her kick in the last lap won her the gold medal.
He saved his kick for the final hundred meters.
Similarsprint, surge, burst, spurt
24
verbtransitive or intransitive
Of a gun, to spring back suddenly when it is fired.
The rifle kicked hard against his shoulder.
Old guns sometimes kick when they fire.
Similarrecoil, buck, jerk, jump
Note
25
nouncountable
How far a ball travels after it is kicked.
Like how far you can throw a ball, but using your foot instead.
Her kick was ten yards longer than anyone else's on the team.
At tryouts, each player's kick is measured in yards.
26
burst of speedverbintransitive
In cycling, to speed up suddenly to pull ahead of the other riders.
Like suddenly running faster to get ahead of your friends.
Good cyclists save energy, then kick hard near the finish line.
Riders often kick when they see the finish line.
Similaraccelerate, sprint
Note
27
verb
In chess, to attack a piece so that it has to move away.
28
verb
In computing, to reset a watchdog timer so a system does not restart on its own.
29
nouncolloquial
A pocket, especially one in a pair of pants.
If you keep Nan’s advice you’ll keep it in your kick.
2008, Loren D. Estleman, Port Hazard
30
noun
In film and TV, a light set at an angle behind a person to add a bright edge.
31
verbhistorical
To run an old printing press by pressing a foot pedal called a treadle.
32
noundatedBritish
An old British coin worth six pennies.
Two and a kick—two shillings and a kick.
1912, French's Acting Edition of Plays, Dramas

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of kick apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–8, 10–18, 20–26

From an old English word meaning to strike out with the foot, linked to Old Norse words for sinking at the knees or bending backwards.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Kick derives from an earlier English word meaning to strike out with the foot; lowercase 'old' describes its age, rather than identifying the Old English language. ru.wiktionary.org
The earlier English word is linked to Old Norse words meaning to sink at the knees and bend backwards. ru.wiktionary.org

Meaning 19

A short form of the phrase "kick the bucket."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Kick, meaning 'to die', is a short form of 'kick the bucket'. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 9

A short form of the phrase "kick ass."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Kick, meaning to be emphatically excellent, is a short form of kick ass. en.wiktionary.org