Synonyms of licking

licking 1 of 2

noun

ˈli-kiŋ 

as in beating

failure to win a contest

our team took a licking last night, but we'll get them next time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beating
• defeat
• loss
• whipping
• trimming
• plastering
• setback
• overthrow
• rout
• drubbing
• trouncing
• shellacking
• failure
• lump
• collapse
• upset
• fiasco
• flop
• debacle
• shutout
• lurch
• washout
• nonsuccess
• fizzle
• whitewash
• débâcle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• success
• victory
• win
• triumph
• achievement
• accomplishment
• sweep
• runaway
• landslide
• blowout
• romp
• cakewalk
• walkover
• walkaway

licking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lick

1

as in pounding

to strike repeatedly

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pounding
• hiding
• whipping
• lashing
• slapping
• beating
• doing
• knocking
• hitting
• pelting
• battering
• attacking
• punching
• slamming
• smashing
• spanking
• thumping
• assaulting
• mauling
• batting
• smacking
• chopping
• bashing
• pummeling
• hammering
• raiding
• lathering
• pummelling
• thrashing
• flogging
• switching
• whacking
• swiping
• paddling
• clubbing
• currying
• punching out
• working over
• tanning
• bludgeoning
• whapping
• basting
• storming
• slating
• lambasting
• boxing
• slogging
• fibbing
• lacing
• buffeting
• whopping
• walloping
• drubbing
• wounding
• tromping
• belting
• messing (up)
• roughing (up)
• threshing
• cracking
• belaboring
• whupping
• whaling
• pommelling
• birching
• rushing
• swatting
• pommeling
• pasting
• beating up on
• bunging up
• strapping
• thwacking
• socking
• descending (on or upon)
• clobbering
• assailing
• cudgelling
• cuffing
• jumping (on)
• clouting
• busting
• cudgeling
• laying on
• flagellating
• whamming
• pouncing (on or upon)
• scourging
• caning
• lacerating
• besetting
• lamming
• mutilating
• whomping
• leathering
• goring
• maiming
• mangling
• horsewhipping
• pistol-whipping
• blackjacking
• rawhiding
• fustigating
• cowhiding

2

as in defeating

to achieve a victory over

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defeating
• overcoming
• mastering
• taking
• beating
• getting
• stopping
• conquering
• dispatching
• subduing
• surmounting
• trimming
• winning (against)
• succeeding
• prevailing (over)
• getting around
• upending
• getting the better of
• triumphing (over)
• burying
• besting
• doing down
• overmatching
• finishing
• worsting
• overbearing
• whipping
• crushing
• slaughtering
• sweeping
• skunking
• knocking for a loop
• creaming
• annihilating
• scoring
• thrashing
• exceeding
• flattening
• surpassing
• clobbering
• capping
• topping
• smoking
• blowing out
• skinning
• overwhelming
• edging (out)
• breaking
• pipping
• excelling
• bombing
• trouncing
• blowing away
• upsetting
• waxing
• subjugating
• nosing out
• vanquishing
• routing
• walloping
• shellacking
• drubbing
• flourishing
• transcending
• outdoing
• overthrowing
• knocking over
• overpowering
• unseating
• knocking off
• eclipsing
• outshining
• bettering
• outstripping
• acing (out)
• snowing under
• outdistancing
• overtopping
• outfighting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• losing (to)
• falling
• going down
• giving up
• failing
• collapsing
• folding
• going under
• flopping
• washing out
• flunking

Examples of licking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The toys seem to be pretty durable, maintaining their shape after hours of play, although the fabric’s colors did fade a little due to our cats’ excessive licking. —Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024

No bang, no whimper — just a bitter licking of wounds. —Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 17 Dec. 2023

Paw licking is a common behavior among adult dogs that can indicate underlying issues. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2023

The cat has a small spot of irritated skin — brought on by excessive licking and scratching — that needs to heal. —Cathy Free, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023