kick
verb /kɪk/
/kɪk/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they kick | /kɪk/ /kɪk/ |
| he / she / it kicks | /kɪks/ /kɪks/ |
| past simple kicked | /kɪkt/ /kɪkt/ |
| past participle kicked | /kɪkt/ /kɪkt/ |
| -ing form kicking | /ˈkɪkɪŋ/ /ˈkɪkɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to hit somebody/something with your foot
- Stop kicking—it hurts!
- kick somebody/something She was punched and kicked by her attackers.
- kick somebody/something + adv./prep./adj. The boys were kicking a ball around in the yard.
- Vandals had kicked the door down.
- She had to kick the door open because her hands were full.
- kick + adv./prep. She kicked at the loose pebbles by the roadside.
Extra Examples- Don't kick the ball too hard.
- He was sent off for deliberately kicking an Italian player.
- They threw him to the ground and kicked him hard in the stomach.
- Marcia gently kicked the horse again to make it trot.
- She could feel the baby kicking against her stomach wall.
- She kicked at the loose pebbles by the roadside.
- Abe roared and kicked over a table.
- She kicked me on the knee.
- Suddenly the far door was kicked open.
- He got up angrily and kicked the chair over.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- hard
- savagely
- viciously
- …
- against
- at
- in
- …
- kick a door down
- kick a door open
- kick a door shut
- …
- [transitive, intransitive] to move your legs as if you were kicking something
- The child was dragged away, kicking and screaming.
- kick something The dancers kicked their legs in the air.
Extra Examples- He rolled over in the sand, kicking wildly.
- I tried to dive back under, kicking with my legs.
- I was carried upstairs, arms waving and legs kicking.
- The little boy was now lying on his back kicking his legs in the air.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- frantically
- furiously
- wildly
- …
- out at
- with
- drag somebody kicking and screaming
- kick your legs
- your legs kick
- …
- [transitive] kick yourself (informal) to be annoyed with yourself because you have done something stupid, missed an opportunity, etc.
- He'll kick himself when he finds out he could have had the job.
Extra Examples- I could kick myself for being so stupid.
- I mentally kicked myself for missing such an opportunity.
- [transitive] kick something (in sports such as football (soccer) and rugby ) to score points by kicking the ball
- to kick a penalty/goal
- He kicked 23 points, ensuring victory for New Zealand.
- [transitive] kick something (informal) to stop doing something harmful that you have done for a long time
- He had been smoking for 15 years and wanted to kick the habit.
- to kick the drug/booze
Word Originlate Middle English: of unknown origin.
Idioms
alive and kicking
- very active, healthy or popular
- My mother is still alive and kicking.
beat/kick (the) hell out of somebody/something | knock hell out of somebody/something
- (informal) to hit somebody/something very hard
- He was a dirty player and loved to kick hell out of the opposition.
kick (some) ass/butt (North American English, taboo, slang)
- to act in a way that is aggressive or full of energy
- to succeed or win in an impressive wayTopics Successc2
kick (some/somebody’s) ass
- (North American English, taboo, slang) to punish or defeat somebody
kick the bucket
- (informal or humorous) to die
kick the can (down the road)
- (North American English, informal) to delay dealing with a problem
- This is another attempt to kick the can down the road and leave it to the next generation.
kick your heels
- (British English) to have nothing to do while you are waiting for somebody/something
- We were kicking our heels, waiting for some customers.
(drag somebody) kicking and screaming
- (informal) if you drag somebody kicking and screaming to do something, they only do it with great protests because they don't really want to do it at all
- The president had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the signing ceremony.
kick somebody in the teeth
- to treat somebody badly or fail to give them help when they need it
kick something into the long grass/into touch
- (British English) to reject something or treat it as not important; to stop dealing with a problem
- He tends to deal with disputes by kicking them into the long grass.
kick over the traces
- (British English, old-fashioned) to start to behave badly and refuse to accept any discipline or control
kick the tyres (British English)
(North American English kick the tires)
- (especially North American English, informal) to test the quality of something to see whether it is suitable for you before you buy it
kick up a fuss, stink, etc.
- (informal) to complain loudly about something
- They’ll usually give you your money back if you threaten to kick up a stink.
kick up your heels
- (especially North American English, informal) to be relaxed and enjoy yourself
kick somebody upstairs
- (informal) to move somebody to a job that seems to be more important but that actually has less power or influence
kick somebody when they’re down
- to continue to hurt somebody when they are already defeated, etc.