kick

verb

\ ˈkik

kicked; kicking; kicks

Definition of kick

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to strike out with the foot or feet

b : to make a kick in football

2a : to show opposition : resist, rebel

b : to protest strenuously or urgently : express grave discontent broadly : complain

3 : to function with vitality and energy alive and kicking

4 of a firearm : to recoil when fired

5 : to go from one place to another as circumstance or whim dictates

6 : to run at a faster speed during the last part of a race

transitive verb

1a : to strike, thrust, or hit with the foot

b : to strike suddenly and forcefully as if with the foot

c : to remove by a kicking motion kicked off her shoes

d : to remove from a position or status kicked him off the team

2 : to score by kicking a ball

3 : to heap reproaches upon (oneself) kicked themselves for not going

4 : to free oneself of (something, such as a drug habit)

kick ass

often vulgar : to kick butt

kick butt

: to use forceful or coercive measures in order to achieve a purpose also : to succeed or win overwhelmingly

kick over the traces

: to cast off restraint, authority, or control

kick the bucket

: die

kick up one's heels

1 : to show sudden delight

2 : to have a lively time

kick upstairs

: to promote to a higher but less desirable position

kick

noun

Definition of kick (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a blow or sudden forceful thrust with the foot specifically : a sudden propelling of a ball with the foot

b : the power to kick

c : a rhythmic motion of the legs used in swimming

d : a burst of speed in racing

2 : a sudden forceful jolt or thrust suggesting a kick especially : the recoil of a gun

3 : pocket, wallet

4a : a feeling or expression of opposition or objection a kick against the administration

b : the grounds for objection

5a : a powerful or foreceful effect chili with a kick

b : a stimulating or pleasurable effect or experience —often used in the phrases get a kick out of and (just) for kicks … we just got a big kick out of seeing our names in the paper— Joel Stein She plays golf just for kicks [=for fun].

c : pursuit of an absorbing or obsessive new interest —usually used with on "… I'll get on a kick though where I can't get enough of something, and it'll show up in everything. … "— Danny Markowicz If you're on a post-Christmas health kick, there are plenty of seasonal vegetables to keep you going …— Caroline Lindsay

6 : kicker sense 2

7 kicks plural, US slang : shoes or sneakers … nothing draws more attention to a rare pair of kicks than the cuffed hem of slim sweats.— Steve Dool

Other Words from kick Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about kick

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Examples of kick in a Sentence

Verb

The attacker kicked him in the stomach. She lost her temper and kicked over the box. He kicked the ball into the goal. She kicked the ball to me. The policeman kicked the door open. The baby kicked his legs in the air. The swimming instructor reminded the children to kick their legs as they swam. The baby kicked with pleasure. He kicked the winning field goal. When he was 25, he kicked his cocaine habit and went back to school.

Noun

He gave me a kick in the leg. If you give the machine a little kick, it should start working again. a long kick in football

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The annual SharonFest, kicking off July 28, is a party with a purpose. — Jennie Key, Cincinnati.com, "SharonFest 2017, the party with a purpose, kicks off July 28," 20 July 2017 Indianapolis kicks off its four-game preseason schedule on Aug. 13 against the Detroit Lions. — Mark Inabinett, AL.com, "Ryan Kelly looking forward to second NFL season at center of Indianapolis Colts' offensive line," 18 July 2017 That would explain why Peter Dinklage kicked off this season in total silence. — Joanna Robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones Showrunners Explain Daenerys’s Odd, Silent Arrival," 16 July 2017 FCKC ORL Shots 7 25 Shots on goal 3 11 Saves 7 2 Corner kicks3 8 Fouls 5 10 Offsides 3 0 YELLOW CARDS Kansas City: Gibbons, 88th. — kansascity, "FC Kansas City summary for July 15," 15 July 2017 Moving the cattle somewhere else to avoid conflict if wolves show up — or kicking them off the national forest altogether, as some critics would like — isn’t so simple. — Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, "With cattle in Washington’s wolf country, ranchers work and worry," 14 July 2017 On a makeshift kickball field on the National Mall, Jacquelyn Keenan cheered as one of her teammates kicked a rubber ball into the air and sprinted for first base. — Jim Rendon, New York Times, "In Social Sports, It’s About Camaraderie, Not Competition," 14 July 2017 Baseball's annual swap-o-rama got underway Thursday as the Cubs and White Sox kicked off the traditional shuffling of prospects for potential game-changers. — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Buyers, sellers and more: What to watch for in second half of MLB season," 13 July 2017 Others pointed out that members of Congress have been scolded too, as when Representative Bobby Rush was kicked off the floor for wearing a hoodie to honor Trayvon Martin. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, "Why Bogus News Stories Are So Hard to Stop," 13 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

As part of the sketch, Cordon helped Dion winnow her collection a bit by by passing out some of her lesser-used kicks to passersby with the help of her assistants. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "Celine Dion Reveals She Has a Warehouse Devoted to Shoes on Carpool Karaoke," 22 May 2019 One step in a dirty puddle or fumble of your morning cold brew and all of a sudden, your new kicks don’t look so great. — Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean White Vans so They Look Brand New," 17 May 2019 Tip 5: Buy a Suede Brush If disaster does strike (aka stains, dirt, water or all of the above make it onto your precious kicks), use a suede brush to fix the problem areas. — Irene Hwang, Seventeen, "How to Clean Suede Shoes Like a Fashion Pro," 13 May 2019 Sialelli becomes the brand’s fourth designer in just four years, a period of change kick-started by the surprising departure of Alber Elbaz, who helmed the label’s womenswear operation for 14 years, in 2015. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Lanvin Names Bruno Sialelli as Creative Director," 21 Jan. 2019 Try Bird, in Zeedijk, which adjoins the red-light district, for unfussy Thai street food, or Ron Gastrobar , from Ron Blaauw, the chef whose namesake Indonesian restaurant kick-started the city’s Asian-inspired trend years ago. — Steve King, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why We Keep Going Back to Amsterdam," 24 Dec. 2018 After almost a year of sleeping on a mattress on the floor, Keltie was excited and enthusiastic about kick-starting the redo. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "This is How TV Personality Keltie Knight Crafted the Bedroom of Her Dreams," 25 Oct. 2018 That kick-started a flurry of activity in more than a dozen countries. — Ian Haydon, Philly.com, "For the first time, scientists harness 'ghost particles' to study the universe and its black holes," 12 July 2018 The new government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose term started earlier this year, has kick-started probes into the matter, including arresting his predecessor and renewing efforts to find Mr. Low. — P.r. Venkat, WSJ, "Hong Kong Declined 2016 Request to Arrest Alleged 1MDB Mastermind, Singapore Says," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.