kick (kicks plural & 3rd person present) (kicking present participle) (kicked past tense & past participle )
1 verb If you kick someone or something, you hit them forcefully with your foot.
He kicked the door hard... V n
He threw me to the ground and started to kick... V
He escaped by kicking open the window... V n with adj
The fiery actress kicked him in the shins... V n in n
An ostrich can kick a man to death. V n to n
Kick is also a noun., n-count
He suffered a kick to the knee.
2 verb When you kick a ball or other object, you hit it with your foot so that it moves through the air.
I went to kick the ball and I completely missed it... V n
He kicked the ball away... V n with adv
A furious player kicked his racket into the grandstand. V n prep
Kick is also a noun., n-count
Schmeichel swooped to save the first kick from Borisov.
3 verb If you kick or if you kick your legs, you move your legs with very quick, small, and forceful movements, once or repeatedly.
They were dragged away struggling and kicking... V
First he kicked the left leg, then he kicked the right... V n
He kicked his feet away from the window. V n adv/prep, Also V prep
Kick out means the same as kick., phrasal verb
As its rider tried to free it, the horse kicked out. V P
4 verb If you kick your legs, you lift your legs up very high one after the other, for example when you are dancing.
He was kicking his legs like a Can Can dancer... V n
She begins dancing, kicking her legs high in the air. V n adj
5 verb If you kick a habit, you stop doing something that is bad for you and that you find difficult to stop doing.
INFORMAL She's kicked her drug habit and learned that her life has value... V n
6 n-sing If something gives you a kick, it makes you feel very excited or very happy for a short period of time.
INFORMAL a N
I got a kick out of seeing my name in print.
7 If you say that someone kicks you when you are down, you think they are behaving unfairly because they are attacking you when you are in a weak position.
kick you when you are down phrase V inflects
In the end I just couldn't kick Jimmy when he was down.
8 If you say that someone does something for kicks, you mean that they do it because they think it will be exciting.
INFORMAL
for kicks phrase PHR after v
They made a few small bets for kicks.
9 If you say that someone is dragged kicking and screaminginto a particular course of action, you are emphasizing that they are very unwilling to do what they are being made to do.
kicking and screaming phrase PHR after v, oft PHR into n/-ing (emphasis)
He had to be dragged kicking and screaming into action.
10 If you describe an event as a kick in the teeth, you are emphasizing that it is very disappointing and upsetting.
INFORMAL
kick in the teeth phrase usu v-link PHR, PHR after v (emphasis)
(=setback)
We've been struggling for years and it's a real kick in the teeth to see a new band make it ahead of us.
11 You use kickyourself in expressions such as I could have kicked myself and you're going to kick yourself to indicate that you were annoyed or are going to be annoyed that you got something wrong.
kick oneself phrase V inflects (feelings)
I was still kicking myself for not paying attention...
12
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alive and kicking
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alive
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to kick up a fuss
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fuss kick around phrasal verb If you kick around ideas or suggestions, you discuss them informally.
INFORMAL We kicked a few ideas around... V n P
They started to kick around the idea of an electric scraper. V P n (not pron) kick back phrasal verb If you kick back, you relax.
(mainly AM)
INFORMAL As soon as they've finished up, they kick back and wait for the next show. V P kick down , kick in phrasal verb If someone kicks something down or if they kick it in, they hit it violently with their foot so that it breaks or falls over.
(=break down, smash down)
She was forced to kick down the front door... V P n (not pron), Also V n P kick in
1 phrasal verb If something kicks in, it begins to take effect.
As discounts kicked in, bookings for immediate travel rose by 15%... V P
2 phrasal verb If someone kicks in a particular amount of money, they provide that amount of money to help pay for something.
(AM)
(=contribute)
Kansas City area churches kicked in $35,000 to support the event... V P n (not pron)
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kick down kick off
1 phrasal verb In football, when the players kick off, they start a game by kicking the ball from the centre of the pitch.
Liverpool kicked off an hour ago. V P
2 phrasal verb If an event, game, series, or discussion kicks off, or is kicked off, it begins.
The shows kick off on October 24th... V P
The Mayor kicked off the party... V P n (not pron)
We kicked off with a slap-up dinner. V P with n, Also V n P
3 phrasal verb If you kick off your shoes, you shake your feet so that your shoes come off.
She stretched out on the sofa and kicked off her shoes. V P n (not pron), Also V n P
4 phrasal verb To kick someone off an area of land means to force them to leave it.
INFORMAL We can't kick them off the island. V n P n, Also V n P kick out phrasal verb To kick someone outof a place means to force them to leave it.
INFORMAL
(=throw out)
The country's leaders kicked five foreign journalists out of the country... V n P of n
Her family kicked her out. V n P, Also V P n (not pron)
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kick 3 kick up
1 phrasal verb If you kick up a fuss about something, you make it very obvious that you are annoyed or dissatisfied.
Those customers who have kicked up a fuss have received refunds... V P n (not pron)
2 phrasal verb If you kick up dust or dirt, you create a cloud of dust or dirt as you move along a dusty road.
(=stir up) She shuffled along, kicking up clouds of dust. V P n (not pron)
free kick (free kicks plural )In a game of football, when there is a free kick, the ball is given to a member of one side to kick because a member of the other side has broken a rule. n-count
kick boxing , kickboxing
Kick boxing is a type of boxing in which the opponents are allowed to kick as well as punch each other. n-uncount
kick-off (kick-offs plural )
in AM, use kickoff
1 n-var In football, the kick-off is the time at which a particular game starts.
(BRIT)
The kick-off is at 1.30.
2 n-count In American football, a kickoff is the kick that begins a play, for example at the beginning of a half or after a touchdown or field goal.
(AM)
3 n-sing The kick-off of an event or activity is its beginning.
INFORMAL People stood waiting for the kick-off of the parade.
kick-start (kick-starts plural & 3rd person present) (kick-starting present participle) (kick-started past tense & past participle ), kickstart
1 verb To kick-start a process that has stopped working or progressing is to take a course of action that will quickly start it going again.
The President has chosen to kick-start the economy by slashing interest rates. V n
Kick-start is also a noun., n-count
The housing market needs a kick-start.
2 verb If you kick-start a motorcycle, you press the lever that starts it with your foot.
He lifted the bike off its stand and kick-started it. V n
