informal
1
: a severe beating
His father threatened to give him a licking if he didn't stop misbehaving.
2
: a severe defeat
The team got/took a good licking [=was badly defeated] in the first game of the season.
—often used figurativelyMany investors took a licking [=lost a lot of money] in the stock market last year.
Cite this Entry
“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/licking. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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