buck

verb

bucked; bucking; bucks

intransitive verb

1

of a horse or mule : to spring into the air with the back arched

2

: to charge against something

3

a

: to move or react jerkily

b

: to refuse assent : balk

4

: to strive for advancement sometimes without regard to ethical behavior

bucking for a promotion

transitive verb

1

a

: oppose, resist

bucking the system

b

archaic : butt entry 3

2

: to throw or dislodge (a rider) by bucking

3

: to move or charge into

bucking a headwind

4

a

: to pass especially from one person to another

b

: to move or load (heavy or cumbersome objects) especially with mechanical equipment

bucker noun

Synonyms of buck

• yank
• jerk
• pull
• grab
• twitch
• lurch

Examples of buck in a Sentence

the car bucked and stalled

bucked the trend to outdo everyone else and just wore the same clothes they had in previous years

Recent Examples on the Web

Cassidy has already shown more willingness to buck the president. —Kevin Freking, Fortune, 29 May 2026

JPMorgan's recommendation on MGM bucks the consensus on Wall Street, where 12 out of 27 analysts rate the stock no more than a hold, and three rate it a sell. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 28 May 2026

Since then, the economy has repeatedly bucked recession models. —Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Cassidy has already shown more willingness to buck the president. —Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Phrases Containing buck

• bang for one's buck
• bang for the buck
• big buck
• buck-and-wing
• buck fever
• buck for (something)
• buck naked
• buck passer
• buck-passing
• buck private
• buck the system
• buck up
• fast/quick buck
• make a buck
• pass the buck
• the buck stops here
• The buck stops here with me

Rhymes for buck

• chuck
• cluck
• duck
• huck
• luck
• muck
• pluck
• puck
• ruck
• schmuck
• shuck
• snuck

Kids Definition

buck

1 of 4 noun

ˈbək 

plural bucks

1

or plural buck : a male animal

especially : a male deer or antelope

2

a

: man entry 1 sense 1a

b

: dandy sense 1

3

informal

a

: dollar sense 3b

b

: a sum of money especially to be gained

make a quick buck

buck

2 of 4 verb

1

a

: to spring into the air with the back arched

a bucking horse

b

: to throw (as a rider) by bucking

2

: to move or act against the action of

bucking a storm

buck a trend

3

: to move or start jerkily

bucker noun

buck

3 of 4 noun

: an act or instance of bucking

buck

4 of 4 noun

: responsibility

pass the buck

Etymology

short for buckhorn knife, formerly used in poker to mark the next player to deal