Synonyms of lick

lick 1 of 2

noun

1

as in blow

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

gave the ball a solid lick with the bat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blow
• slap
• swipe
• thump
• hit
• pound
• knock
• punch
• stroke
• thud
• whack
• poke
• spank
• smack
• bang
• beat
• slam
• clap
• clip
• licking
• kick
• hook
• chop
• swat
• switch
• lash
• crack
• sock
• bat
• smash
• pick
• bop
• stripe
• slug
• pelt
• hack
• belt
• dab
• cuff
• plump
• welt
• box
• pounding
• rap
• buffet
• knee
• biff
• bash
• wham
• thwack
• fillip
• stinger
• bust
• douse
• clout
• wallop
• hand
• swing
• whop
• beating
• left
• haymaker
• larrup
• counter
• right
• shiver
• whip
• body blow
• sucker punch
• whipping
• counterstroke
• hammering
• roundhouse
• thrashing
• one-two
• counterblow
• KO
• uppercut
• battering
• rabbit punch
• pummeling
• counterpunch
• flogging
• knockdown
• knockout
• sidewinder
• drubbing
• pasting
• bastinado
• cruncher
• clobbering
• bludgeoning
• cudgeling
• walloping
• kayo
• right-hander
• lambasting

2

as in shred

a very small amount

the soup needs just a lick more of salt

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shred
• splash
• touch
• sprinkling
• hint
• speck
• glimmer
• bit
• little
• trace
• dab
• smack
• tad
• particle
• spark
• smell
• bite
• handful
• spatter
• pinch
• ounce
• crumb
• streak
• nip
• peanuts
• fleck
• sliver
• drop
• ray
• spot
• dram
• scruple
• scintilla
• mite
• taste
• dash
• shade
• strain
• ace
• minimum
• drop in the bucket
• snap
• suspicion
• smidgen
• portion
• soupçon
• whit
• dose
• nibble
• shadow
• grain
• skosh
• driblet
• jot
• patch
• modicum
• syllable
• molecule
• dot
• semblance
• granule
• mote
• part
• morsel
• atom
• iota
• scrap
• fragment
• tittle
• vestige
• minim
• hoot
• flake
• section
• shiver
• scattering
• smattering
• splinter
• nubbin
• chip
• flyspeck
• shaving
• shard
• smatter
• clipping
• tatter
• smithereens
• paring
• shot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loads
• mess
• pile
• bucket
• peck
• deal
• mountain
• quantity
• plenty
• stack
• barrel
• wealth
• abundance
• lot
• mass
• wad
• bushel
• heaps
• bundle
• fistful
• raft
• volume
• profusion
• reams
• gobs
• lashings
• surplus
• excess
• boatload
• oodles
• scads
• potful
• embarrassment
• passel
• much
• overflow
• slab
• surfeit
• lump
• superfluity
• chunk
• bonanza
• superabundance
• overabundance
• oversupply
• hunk
• overage
• overkill
• overmuch

3

as in damn

the smallest amount or part imaginable

you haven't done a lick of work all day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damn
• whit
• hoot
• shred
• fig
• bit
• jot
• whoop
• little
• touch
• modicum
• syllable
• darn
• squat
• beans
• iota
• rap
• tittle
• hint
• diddly
• ghost
• continental
• diddly-squat
• ounce
• pin
• speck
• bubkes
• doodley-squat
• glimmer
• trace
• particle
• sprinkling
• nip
• dab
• streak
• peanuts
• semblance
• scrap
• crumb
• smidgen
• spot
• ray
• scruple
• mite
• strain
• snap
• ace
• suspicion
• shade
• skosh
• shadow
• driblet

lick

2 of 2

verb

ˈlik 

1

as in to hide

to strike repeatedly

your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hide
• pound
• whip
• lash
• slap
• beat
• do
• knock
• spank
• hit
• thump
• batter
• pelt
• punch
• smash
• attack
• bat
• slam
• assault
• maul
• chop
• pummel
• smack
• bludgeon
• curry
• punch out
• thrash
• swipe
• flog
• tan
• slate
• paddle
• hammer
• bash
• whup
• lather
• work over
• wound
• drub
• switch
• baste
• box
• whop
• rough (up)
• raid
• club
• whack
• lambaste
• lace
• wallop
• beat up on
• buffet
• belabor
• thresh
• tromp
• belt
• birch
• whale
• crack
• fib
• swat
• mess (up)
• pommel
• slog
• storm
• bung up
• rush
• paste
• lay on
• descend (on or upon)
• jump (on)
• sock
• strap
• clobber
• thwack
• assail
• pounce (on or upon)
• leather
• whomp
• cane
• wham
• cuff
• clout
• cudgel
• flagellate
• horsewhip
• lacerate
• bust
• lam
• beset
• mutilate
• maim
• scourge
• gore
• rawhide
• mangle
• blackjack
• cowhide
• pistol-whip
• fustigate

2

as in to master

to achieve a victory over

he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• master
• defeat
• overcome
• take
• beat
• get
• stop
• worst
• conquer
• best
• dispatch
• subdue
• surmount
• trim
• win (against)
• get around
• get the better of
• upend
• bury
• skunk
• succeed
• prevail (over)
• overbear
• finish
• overmatch
• triumph (over)
• do down
• sweep
• whip
• crush
• overwhelm
• blow out
• slaughter
• cream
• knock for a loop
• better
• skin
• surpass
• flatten
• annihilate
• trounce
• thrash
• score
• exceed
• blow away
• clobber
• break
• bomb
• drub
• wax
• smoke
• edge (out)
• shellac
• upset
• pip
• excel
• top
• snow under
• cap
• nose out
• wallop
• flourish
• subjugate
• rout
• vanquish
• outdo
• overpower
• overthrow
• knock over
• transcend
• unseat
• outstrip
• outshine
• overtop
• outdistance
• knock off
• eclipse
• ace (out)
• outfight

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lose (to)
• fall
• go down
• give up
• fail
• fold
• go under
• collapse
• wash out
• flunk
• flop

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lick

Noun

Turay’s glassy guitar licks have a Metheny-ish tint to them, while Bemis opts to ride quick, slinky rhythms rather than abusing his crash cymbal. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026

That remains to be seen, but Brady certainly got the first lick in. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 July 2026

Verb

Dubiously sourced accounts followed of Australians who died after drinking toad tea and a man supposedly being imprisoned in South America on toad-licking charges. — Kimon De Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026

There’s truly nothing like licking that paper lid, then shoveling that tiny tongue depressor into a child-sized serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026