kiss

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verb

ˈkis

kissed; kissing; kisses

transitive verb

: to touch (someone or something) with the lips especially as a mark of affection or greeting

kissed their children goodnight

: to touch (someone or something) gently or lightly

wind gently kissing the trees

intransitive verb

: to salute or caress one another with the lips

: to come in gentle contact

kissable

ˈki-sə-bəl

adjective

kiss

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noun

: a caress with the lips

a range of kisses from a passionate embrace to a friendly peck

: a gentle touch or contact

: a small drop cookie made of meringue

: a bite-size piece of candy often wrapped in paper or foil

: an expression of affection

sent him kisses in her letter

Phrases

kiss ass

vulgar : to act obsequiously especially to gain favor

kiss goodbye

: leave

: 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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Karen planted soft kisses on Laura's ears and the back of her neck while Karl kissed her shoulders, then continued toward her clavicle.

Davy Rothbart, GQ, 18 July 2017 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 Then, within days of the debate, multiple women came forward to accuse Trump of having groped or kissed them without their consent.

Joshua Green, Daily Intelligencer, 9 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

Their on-screen chemistry became real-life love when, shortly after filming wrapped, the two were spotted getting cozy at Disneyland and sharing a romantic kiss in Paris.

Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2022 The couple sharing a kiss at the National Osteoporosis Society event.

ELLE, 10 Nov. 2022 Believe it or not, Colman’s decades-long career has never had her sharing a kiss with a man on screen.

Clayton Davis, Variety, 1 Nov. 2022 Seeing pictures of couples in an infinity pool in Bali or sharing a kiss at the Eiffel Tower gives us the feels.

Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Sep. 2022 And in another, the two are seen sharing a kiss while embracing in the ocean.

Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Sep. 2022 In the rest of the photos, Union and Wade can be seen sharing a kiss and partying with a large group of friends.

Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2022 Set in the 1940s, the trailer opens with the two sharing a kiss.

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2022 Powell and Carver were spotted sharing a kiss on a sidewalk in character, while Bernhard was filmed walking out of a psychic parlor.

Nick Romano, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2022 See More

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