kiss

verb

ˈkis 

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

ˈki-sə-bəl 

adjective

see also:

kiss ass kiss goodbye kiss one's ass kiss up to

Synonyms of kiss

• cuddle
• smooch
• hug
• snuggle

Examples of kiss in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Our first couples The first coupling up is based around an elaborate compatibility test-slash–kissing booth that is entirely too complicated, but chaos and saliva are the fuel that keep the Love Island machine running. —Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 June 2026

Gabriel kissed the girls who stepped on the red dot (Beatriz, Trinity) while Kayda kissed the boys who did the same (Zach, Bryce). —Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 3 June 2026

The pro boxer, also 27, lifted their daughter and then bent down to kiss Hague on the forehead. —Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

In a joint Instagram post, the pair posted a black-and-white photo of them kissing at the end of the aisle. —Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing kiss

• air-kiss
• blow (someone) a kiss
• butterfly kiss
• chef's kiss
• French kiss
• kiss and cry
• kiss and make up
• kiss-and-tell
• kiss goodbye
• kiss of death
• kiss off
• kiss of life
• kiss of peace
• kiss something goodbye
• kiss up to
• soul kiss
• steal a kiss
• the kiss of life
• throw (someone) a kiss

Rhymes for kiss

• bis
• bliss
• criss
• dis
• diss
• hiss
• kris
• liss
• mis
• miss
• riss
• sis

Kids Definition

kiss

1 of 2 verb

ˈkis 

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

-ə-bəl 

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