kiss

1 of 2

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

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

Synonyms of kiss

Verb

• cuddle
• smooch
• hug
• snuggle

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

Dylan is still crying — literally crying — about the fact that Kenzie kissed Gal a week ago. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 7 July 2026

Once the excitement had died down, the team gathered in a circle and a player went up to Haaland, grabbed the back of his neck and kissed his cheek. — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026

Noun

Photos captured them meandering through cobblestone streets with their arms wrapped around each other, crossing the lake by wooden speedboat and sharing a kiss in the rain. — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Then, Charisma unfurled a set of ultrasound images before the two shared a kiss. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

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

14th century, in the meaning defined at 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