kiss

1 of 2

verb

kissed; kissing; kisses

transitive verb

1
: to touch (someone or something) with the lips especially as a mark of affection or greeting
kissed their children goodnight
2
: to touch (someone or something) gently or lightly
wind gently kissing the trees

intransitive verb

1
: to salute or caress one another with the lips
2
: to come in gentle contact
kissable adjective

kiss

2 of 2

noun

1
: a caress with the lips
a range of kisses from a passionate embrace to a friendly peck
2
: a gentle touch or contact
3
a
: a small drop cookie made of meringue
b
: a bite-size piece of candy often wrapped in paper or foil
4
: an expression of affection
sent him kisses in her letter
Phrases
kiss ass
vulgar : to act obsequiously especially to gain favor
kiss goodbye
1
: leave
2
: to resign oneself to the loss of
kiss one's ass
vulgar : to act obsequiously toward one especially to gain favor
kiss up to
: to curry favor with

Examples of kiss in a Sentence

Verb They kissed each other passionately. She kissed him good night. I'll never forget the night we first kissed. When he got off the plane he knelt down and kissed the ground. The tree's branches kissed the ground below. Noun He gave her a kiss on the cheek. She greeted him with a hug and a kiss.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Busch and his team would love to pose for more pictures kissing the bricks at IMS following Sunday’s race. Clifton Brown, Indianapolis Star, 17 July 2017 The trainer turns and kisses one of the man-eaters on the nose. Holly Millea, Smithsonian, 29 June 2017 His wife walked up to the stage, hugged and kissed him. Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017 In another Instagram, Chyna is kissing a man who is not Rob. Tess Koman, Cosmopolitan, 5 July 2017 Read as a mama kangaroo hops her joey off to bed, while baby bats wake up to play, and a human Mama kisses her baby goodnight. South Florida Parenting, 3 July 2017 With the last one gone, Taba kisses the empty floor. Holly Millea, Smithsonian, 29 June 2017
Noun
Maluma was captured planting a kiss on Susana's forehead while their baby was cradled on her chest. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 Included in the roundup was an image of the pai of the pair in similar cowboy hats, as well as a gif of the couple leaning in for a kiss. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2024 Within moments of leaning in for that first kiss, Branden had a crazy idea. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Vogue mag shared a video of Victoria limping over to plant a kiss on her man, who later gave her a public shout-out. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Then, the main event: the caviar baked potato with another dollop of crème fraîche on the side, followed by fruit and the endless clinking of champagne glasses and air kisses. Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 As some fans pointed out, the clip is quite reminiscent of the time Swift greeted Travis Kelce in a similar way after her concert in Buenos Aires last year, running to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and planting a big kiss on him. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 Dickie plants a kiss on Tom’s cheek when the song ends. Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 That includes a May event called Kissing Tartu, which will be an unprecedented mass joint kiss. Lisa Lucas, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kiss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English cyssan; akin to Old High German kussen to kiss

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kiss was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near kiss

Cite this Entry

“Kiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kiss. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kiss

1 of 2 verb
1
: to touch with the lips as a mark of love or greeting
2
: to touch gently or lightly
wind gently kissing the trees
kissable adjective

kiss

2 of 2 noun
1
: a loving touch with the lips
2
: a gentle touch or contact
3
a
: a small cookie made of meringue
b
: a bite-size candy
a chocolate kiss

More from Merriam-Webster on kiss

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