knock

1 of 2

verb

ˈnäk 

knocked; knocking; knocks

intransitive verb

1

: to strike something with a sharp blow

2

: to collide with something

3

a

: bustle

heard them knocking around in the kitchen

b

: wander

knocked about Europe all summer

4

a

: to make a pounding noise

b

: to have engine knock

5

: to find fault

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to strike sharply

(2)

: to drive, force, or make by or as if by so striking

was knocked out of the campaign

b

: to set forcibly in motion with a blow

2

: to cause to collide

3

: to find fault with

always knocking those in authority

knock

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a sharp blow : rap, hit

a loud knock on the door

b(1)

: a severe misfortune or hardship

(2)

: setback, reversal

2

a

: a pounding noise

b

: a sharp repetitive metallic noise caused by abnormal ignition in an automobile engine

3

: a harsh and often petty criticism

the knock on him was that he couldn't handle the pressure

Phrases

knock cold

: knock out sense 2a(1)

knock dead

: to move strongly especially to admiration or applause

a comedian who really knocks them dead

knock for a loop

1

a

: overcome

knocked my opponent for a loop

b

: demolish

knocked our idea for a loop

2

: dumbfound, amaze

the news knocked them for a loop

knock one's socks off

: to overwhelm or amaze one

a performance that will knock your socks off

knock on wood

—used interjectionally to ward off misfortune

knock together

: to make or assemble especially hurriedly or in a makeshift way

knocked together my own bookcase

Synonyms

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bump
• collide
• crash
• hit
• impact
• impinge
• ram
• slam
• smash
• strike
• swipe
• thud

Noun

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of knock in a Sentence

Verb

The ball knocked him on the chin.

She knocked the glass from his hand.

He knocked the baseball over the fence.

The ball hit him in the mouth and knocked out one of his teeth.

The wind knocked him backwards.

The dog knocked against the lamp.

My knee accidentally knocked against the table.

Skaters were knocking into each other all over the ice.

I accidentally knocked my knee against the table.

Noun

He gave him a knock on the head.

There was a loud knock at the door.

She took some knocks early in her career.

He likes praise but can't stand the knocks.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet. —Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024

Courtesy Lürssen The new arrivals in 2024 knock the mighty 436.4-foot Al Mirqab and Koru, Jeff Bezos’s sailing yacht, off the list. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024

Next up for Iowa is UConn, the team that knocked them out of the tournament in Ms. Clark’s freshman season. —Anne M. Peterson and Doug Feinberg, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024

In Nevada, Somos plans to knock on over 1 million doors and spend nearly $5 million in bilingual paid communication to boost the campaigns of Biden and Sen. Jacky Rosen, whose re-election is also critical to the Democrats' retaining control of the Senate. —Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024

That barely knocked the rust off as the Mavericks faced Corona, the No. 1 team in the nation according to MaxPreps.com, in Tuesday’s Boras Baseball Classic at JSerra High. —John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024

With the Wolfpack’s 76-64 ouster of Duke pretty much in hand with 1:47 left and time called, a much smaller reserve teammate of Burns rose to chest-bump him and nearly got knocked into the fourth row by Burns’ adrenaline. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Happy hour, which runs on weekdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m., knocks cocktails down to $13 while offering $11 beer-and-a-shot combos. —Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

According to various reports, Atalanta value the 26-year-old in the region of $64 million (€60 million), and despite a contract that doesn’t expire for a further three years, his public declaration has likely knocked millions off his valuation. —Emmet Gates, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Noun

No knock on young guys my age, middle-aged guys who dress super young with the hat backward and the new [Nike] Dunks and whatever. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024

The knock from Estrada was only his fifth hit of the season, his second for extra bases. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

This system of justice still stands and will prevail over any fleeting political knock. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024

Those 1-0 victories came either side of a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano, but the goals could return this weekend given that Jude Bellingham comes straight back into the first XI after recovering from an ankle knock. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

The biggest knock against the 6-foot-7, 295 pound Peppers? —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 7 Feb. 2024

Suffering a reoccurrence of his right thigh knock against Athletic Club in Bilbao earlier this month, the 21-year-old was pictured grinning on the turf of the Joan Gamper CT and is working hard to try and at least make the squad for Barca's quarterfinal first leg meeting with PSG on April 10. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

David Gitlin, the CEO of Carrier Global Al Drago—Bloomberg/Getty Images Gitlin’s key advantage doubles as the key knock against him. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024

Despite knocks on the door, calls to relatives and a trip to the Central Valley to try to track down that neighbor, the Bay Area News Group couldn’t locate him. —Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English knoken, from Old English cnocian; akin to Middle High German knochen to press

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing knock

• hard-knock
• don't knock it until you've tried it
• hit/knock (someone) for six
• knock around
• knock cold
• knock dead
• knock down
• knock back
• knock-down, drag-out
• knock-down-and-drag-out
• knock/blow someone's socks off
• knock-knee
• knock it out of the park
• knock off
• knock for a loop
• knock-knock joke
• knock (someone) off his/her pedestal
• knock someone flying
• knock over
• knock someone's head/block off
• knock (someone) sideways
• knock some sense into someone
• knock some sense into someone's head
• knock (something) on the head
• knock the stuffing out of
• knock spots off
• knock the wind out of (someone)
• take/knock/bring someone down a peg
• knock together
• throw/knock (someone) off (his/her) stride
• knock oneself out
• knock-on effect
• knock on wood
• knock out
• knock on doors
• knock one's socks off
• knock on the door of
• knock heads
• knock in
• anti-knock
• knock up

Kids Definition

knock

1 of 2 verb

ˈnäk 

1

a

: to strike with a sharp blow

b

: to set in motion with a sharp blow

2

: to bump against something

3

: wander sense 1

knocked about the country last summer

4

: to have engine knock

5

: to find fault with

don't knock it—there are worse jobs

knock

2 of 2 noun

1

: a sharp blow

2

: a severe misfortune or hardship

3

a

: a pounding noise

heard a knock on the door

b

: a sharp rattling noise caused by abnormal ignition in an automobile engine

Medical Definition

knock

noun

ˈnäk 

1

: a sharp blow

a knock to the head

2

: a sharp pounding noise