Kick Definition and Meaning
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Published on March 17, 2024
Kick refers to strike with the foot or feet. e.g., The soccer player scored a goal with a powerful kick.
Table of Contents
Kick Definitions
To hit something with the foot.
She kicked the ball into the net.
To express strong emotion or reaction.
He kicked with frustration after missing the bus.
To break free from a habit or addiction.
She finally kicked her smoking habit.
To propel oneself using the legs.
The swimmer kicked to stay afloat.
To start or activate with a sudden movement.
He kicked the engine into life.
To reject or dismiss someone.
They kicked him off the team for poor performance.
To make a strong protest or objection.
The community kicked against the new law.
A sudden forceful impact or movement.
The horse gave a sharp kick.
A feature that adds excitement or enjoyment.
The plot twist added a kick to the movie.
To thrust out suddenly or vigorously.
The baby kicked happily in the crib.
To extend the leg away from the body; strike out with the foot or feet.
To score or gain ground by kicking a ball.
To punt in football.
To propel the body in swimming by moving the legs, as with a flutter kick or frog kick.
To recoil
The powerful rifle kicked upon being fired.
To express negative feelings vigorously; complain.
To oppose by argument; protest.
To strike with the foot
Kicked the wall in frustration.
To propel by striking with the foot
Kick a ball.
To spring back against suddenly
The rifle kicked my shoulder when I fired it.
(Sports) To score (a goal or point) by kicking a ball.
A vigorous blow with the foot.
(Sports) The motion of the legs that propels the body in swimming.
Any of various moves in dance in which the leg is extended from the body.
A jolting recoil
A rifle with a heavy kick.
(Slang) A complaint; a protest.
(Slang) Power; force
A car engine with a lot of kick.
A feeling of pleasurable stimulation
Got a kick out of the show.
Kicks Fun
Went bowling just for kicks.
(Slang) Temporary, often obsessive interest
I'm on a science fiction kick.
(Slang) A sudden, striking surprise; a twist.
Kicks(Slang) Shoes.
The act or an instance of kicking a ball.
A kicked ball.
The distance spanned by a kicked ball.
(transitive) To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
Did you kick your brother?
(intransitive) To make a sharp jerking movement of the leg, as to strike something.
He enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching the kickline kick.
(transitive) To direct to a particular place by a blow with the foot or leg.
Kick the ball into the goal.
(with "off" or "out") To eject summarily.
To forcibly remove a participant from an online activity.
He was kicked from the IRC server for flooding.
To overcome (a bothersome or difficult issue or obstacle); to free oneself of (a problem).
I still smoke, but they keep telling me to kick the habit.
To move or push suddenly and violently.
He was kicked sideways by the force of the blast.
(of a firearm) To recoil; to push by recoiling.
To attack (a piece) in order to force it to move.
To accelerate quickly with a few pedal strokes in an effort to break away from other riders.
Contador kicks again to try to rid himself of Rasmussen.
(intransitive) To show opposition or resistance.
To work a press by impact of the foot on a treadle.
To reset (a watchdog timer).
To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.
He's still kicking himself for not investing three years ago.
(intransitive) To die.
To be emphatically excellent.
That band really kicks.
A hit or strike with the leg, foot or knee.
A kick to the knee.
The action of swinging a foot or leg.
The ballerina did a high kick and a leap.
(colloquial) Something that tickles the fancy; something fun or amusing.
I finally saw the show. What a kick!
I think I sprained something on my latest exercise kick.
(Internet) The removal of a person from an online activity.
(figuratively) Any bucking motion of an object that lacks legs or feet.
The car had a nasty kick the whole way.
The pool ball took a wild kick, up off the table.
Piquancy.
A stimulation provided by an intoxicating substance.
(soccer) A pass played by kicking with the foot.
(soccer) The distance traveled by kicking the ball.
A long kick up the field.
The recoil of a gun.
(informal) A pocket.
An increase in speed in the final part of a running race.
Synonym of kicker
To strike, thrust, or hit violently with the foot; as, a horse kicks a groom; a man kicks a dog.
He [Frederick the Great] kicked the shins of his judges.
To evict or remove from a place or position, usually with out or off; as, they kicked him off the staff; he was kicked out of the restaurant; the landlord kicked them out of the apartment for making too much noise.
To score (goals or points) by kicking; as, they kicked three field goals in the game.
To discontinue; - usually used of habitual activities; as, to kick a habit; he kicked his drug habit.
To thrust out the foot or feet with violence; to strike out with the foot or feet, as in defense or in bad temper; esp., to strike backward, as a horse does, or to have a habit of doing so.
I should kick, being kicked.
To recoil; - said of a musket, cannon, etc.; also called kick back.
To make a kick as an offensive play.
To complain strenuously; to object vigorously.
To resist.
A blow with the foot or feet; a striking or thrust with the foot.
A kick, that scarce would move a horse,May kill a sound divine.
The projection on the tang of the blade of a pocket knife, which prevents the edge of the blade from striking the spring. See Illust. of Pocketknife.
A projection in a mold, to form a depression in the surface of the brick.
The recoil of a musket or other firearm, when discharged.
A surge of pleasure; a thrill; - usually used in the phrase get a kick out of; as, I always get a kick out of watching an ice skater do a quadruple jump.
The act of delivering a blow with the foot;
He gave the ball a powerful kick
The team's kicking was excellent
The swift release of a store of affective force;
They got a great bang out of it
What a boot!
He got a quick rush from injecting heroin
He does it for kicks
The backward jerk of a gun when it is fired
Informal terms for objecting;
I have a gripe about the service here
The sudden stimulation provided by strong drink (or certain drugs);
A sidecar is a smooth drink but it has a powerful kick
A rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics;
The kick must be synchronized with the arm movements
The swimmer's kicking left a wake behind him
Drive or propel with the foot
Thrash about or strike out with the feet
Strike with the foot;
The boy kicked the dog
Kick the door down
Kick a leg up
Spring back, as from a forceful thrust;
The gun kicked back into my shoulder
Stop consuming;
Kick a habit
Make a goal;
He kicked the extra point after touchdown
Express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness;
My mother complains all day
She has a lot to kick about
Kick Snonyms
Strike
To hit or attack someone or something.
He struck the door with his foot.
Smash
To forcefully hit or break something.
She smashed the piñata with a stick.
Thump
To hit or strike with something heavy.
She thumped the desk in anger.
Boot
To kick something forcefully.
He booted the ball across the field.
Bash
To hit hard.
She bashed the door open with her foot.
Pound
To strike repeatedly.
He pounded the nails with a hammer.
Wallop
To strike with a hard blow.
He walloped the punching bag.
Thwack
To strike with a sharp sound.
He thwacked the ball with his racket.
Sock
To hit or punch with force.
She socked the bully in the nose.
Whack
To strike forcefully.
He whacked the bush with his machete.
Kick Idioms & Phrases
Kick the habit
To stop a bad habit.
He kicked the habit of biting his nails.
Kick off
To begin or start.
The meeting kicked off with the president's speech.
Kick up one's heels
To celebrate or enjoy oneself.
They kicked up their heels at the party.
Kick into high gear
To start working hard or fast.
The team kicked into high gear to meet the deadline.
Kick up a fuss
To make a commotion or protest.
The customers kicked up a fuss over the price increase.
Kick against the pricks
To resist authority or to protest futilely.
He's just kicking against the pricks with his constant complaints.
Kick around
To discuss or consider casually.
They kicked around some ideas for the new project.
Kick the bucket
To die.
My old car finally kicked the bucket.
Kick back
To relax or recline.
They kicked back at the beach all day.
Kick in
To start to take effect.
The medication finally kicked in.
Kick to the curb
To dismiss or reject someone.
She kicked him to the curb after she found out he lied.
Kick into gear
To become active or effective.
The project finally kicked into gear after weeks of delays.
Kick over the traces
To behave rebelliously.
The teenager kicked over the traces and ignored his curfew.
Kick oneself
To regret something.
I've been kicking myself for missing that meeting.
Kick it
To spend time, especially in a relaxed manner.
We're just going to kick it at home tonight.
Get a kick out of
To enjoy greatly.
She gets a kick out of roller coasters.
Kick the can down the road
To postpone or avoid dealing with something.
They're just kicking the can down the road with temporary solutions.
Kick the tires
To test or check something before buying.
He likes to kick the tires before making any big purchase.
Kick under the table
To secretly warn or stop someone from speaking.
I had to kick him under the table to keep him from revealing the surprise.
Kick Example Sentences
The player prepared to kick the ball.
They learned to kick in martial arts class.
She got a kick out of making her friends laugh.
She felt the baby kick for the first time.
They decided to kick back and watch a movie.
He practiced his kick before the game.
He had to kick the habit of snacking late at night.
They often kick around ideas for new projects.
She tried to kick the soccer ball into the goal.
The concert is set to kick off at 8 PM.
The engine took a while to kick in.
The story's twist really added a kick to the plot.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide "kick" into syllables?
"Kick" cannot be divided into syllables because it is a single-syllable word.
How many syllables are in "kick"?
Kick has one syllable.
How is "kick" used in a sentence?
"Kick" is used to describe the action of striking with the foot. e.g., She learned to kick a soccer ball accurately.
What is a stressed syllable in "kick"?
Since "kick" has only one syllable, that syllable is naturally the stressed one.
Why is it called "kick"?
Kick is called so because it originates from the Old English word "ciccan," meaning to strike with the foot. This action has been a fundamental movement in human behavior, used for expressing strength or agility, and the term has evolved to describe various forms of striking or propelling with the foot.
What is the first form of "kick"?
The first form of "kick" is "kick," which is the base form of the verb.
What is the root word of "kick"?
The root word of "kick" is the Old English "ciccan," which means to strike with the foot.
What is the third form of "kick"?
The third form of "kick" is also "kicked," serving as the past participle.
What is the singular form of "kick"?
The singular form of "kick" remains "kick" when referring to the action or a single instance of kicking.
What is the second form of "kick"?
The second form of "kick" is "kicked," which is the simple past tense.
What is the pronunciation of "kick"?
The pronunciation of "kick" is /kɪk/.
What is the opposite of "kick"?
The opposite of "kick" could be considered "embrace" or "caress," as these actions involve gentle or affectionate touch, unlike the forceful action of a kick.
What is the plural form of "kick"?
The plural form of "kick," when used as a noun, is "kicks," referring to multiple instances or actions of kicking.
Is "kick" a negative or positive word?
"Kick" can be neutral, negative, or positive, depending on its context. It can describe a simple action, a harmful act, or an enjoyable experience.
Is the word "kick" imperative?
Yes, "kick" can be used in the imperative mood as a command. e.g., "Kick the ball!"
Which determiner is used with "kick"?
Determiners like "a," "the," or "my" can be used with "kick" depending on the context. e.g., "He has a powerful kick."
What is the verb form of "kick"?
The verb form of "kick" is "kick" itself in its base form. Its past and past participle forms are "kicked."
Is "kick" a noun or adjective?
"Kick" can be both a noun (describing the act) and a verb (describing the action), but it is not an adjective.
What part of speech is "kick"?
"Kick" is primarily used as a verb but can also be a noun describing the action or impact of kicking.
What is another term for "kick"?
Another term for "kick" is "strike," especially when it refers to hitting something with the foot.
Is "kick" a vowel or consonant?
The word "kick" starts with a consonant sound.
Is the word “kick” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
In sentences where "kick" is a verb, it can have a direct object. e.g., "He kicked the ball." Here, "ball" is the direct object of "kick."
Which vowel is used before "kick"?
The use of a vowel before "kick" depends on the context and preceding word. No specific rule applies to all cases.
Is "kick" a countable noun?
Yes, when used as a noun, "kick" is countable. e.g., "He has a strong kick."
Is "kick" a collective noun?
No, "kick" is not a collective noun. It does not describe a group of things.
Is the word "kick" Gerund?
No, "kick" itself is not a gerund. The gerund form would be "kicking."
Which preposition is used with "kick"?
Prepositions used with "kick" can vary, such as "into," "against," or "over," depending on what is being described. e.g., "He kicked the ball into the goal."
Which conjunction is used with "kick"?
Conjunctions used with "kick" depend on the sentence structure, such as "and," "but," or "while." e.g., "He kicked the ball, and it flew into the net."
Which article is used with "kick"?
The articles "a," "an," or "the" can be used with "kick" based on specific instances. e.g., "A kick from him can be very powerful."
Is "kick" an adverb?
No, "kick" is not an adverb. It does not describe how an action is performed beyond the act of kicking itself.
Is "kick" an abstract noun?
No, "kick" is not typically considered an abstract noun. As a noun, it refers to a physical action or force.
Is the "kick" term a metaphor?
"Kick" can be used metaphorically, as in "kick the habit," meaning to stop a bad habit.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.