Kick — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈkik/

Meaning & Definition of Kick

Kick (verb)

  1. to strike out with the foot or feet
  2. to make a kick in football
  3. to show opposition, resist, rebel

Kick (noun)

  1. a blow or sudden forceful thrust with the foot; specifically, a sudden propelling of a ball with the foot
  2. the power to kick
  3. a rhythmic motion of the legs used in swimming

Kick (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely

    "he's been kicking all week about not getting the promotion"

    similar: beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kvetch, maunder (chiefly British), moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge (British), yammer, yawp, yowl, kick up a fuss
    related: object (to), protest, quarrel (with), cavil, quibble, fret, stew, worry, blubber, cry, sob, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament
    opposite: crow, delight, rejoice
    near: accept, bear, countenance, endure, take, tolerate, applaud, cheer, commend

  2. to present an opposing opinion or argument

    "fiscal conservatives have already started to kick about the proposed program, claiming it will increase the state's deficit substantially"

    similar: demur, except, expostulate, object, protest, remonstrate (with), take exception, take issue
    related: cavil, quibble, challenge, dare, defy, fight, conflict, debate, dispute, hassle, quarrel, squabble, wrangle, beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, keen, maunder (chiefly British), moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge (British), yammer, yawp, yowl, balk, gag, stick, censure, criticize, denounce, disobey, rebel, withstand, demonstrate
    near: approve, sanction, accept, accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, adhere, comply, conform, follow, mind, obey, observe, advocate, champion, defend, maintain, support, sustain, uphold, applaud, cheer, commend

Kick (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings

    "I get a kick out of downhill skiing"

    similar: bang, boot, charge, exhilaration, frisson, jollies, rush, thrill, titillation, wallop
    related: arousal, buzz, electrification, high, intoxication, jolt, shock, surprise, delectation, delight, enjoyment, joy, lift, pleasure, amusement, diversion, entertainment, fun, treat

  2. a source of great satisfaction

    "it was a kick for the parents to see their once-shy son star in a Broadway play"

    similar: delectation, delight, feast, gas (slang), joy, manna, pleasure, treat
    related: amusement, diversion, entertainment, fun, recreation, comfort, relief, solace, gratification, indulgence, ambrosia

  3. a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent

    "nowadays there seem to be few words in the dictionary that do not raise a kick from one person or another"

    similar: challenge, complaint, demur, demurral, demurrer, difficulty, exception, expostulation, fuss, objection, protest, question, remonstrance, stink
    related: compunction, doubt, misgiving, qualm, scruple, misunderstanding, cavil, niggle (chiefly British), quibble, argument, conflict, debate, dispute, dissent, hassle, quarrel, squabble, static, censure, criticism, defiance, disobedience, rebellion, distrust, distrustfulness, dubiety, dubitation (archaic), incertitude, indetermination, misdoubt, mistrust, mistrustfulness, reservation, skepticism, suspicion, uncertainty, qualmishness, unease, uneasiness, reluctance, unwillingness
    near: willingness, approval, sanction, acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, assent, compliance, obedience

  4. a forceful coming together of two things

    "I felt a kick in my hands as the jackhammer came roaring to life"

    similar: bump, collision, concussion, crash, impact, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, shock, slam, smash, strike, wallop
    related: blow, buffet, hit, knock, punch, rap, slap, thump, bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, contact, encounter, meeting, touch

Related Entry: Kick around (verb)

Kick around is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick around, not for kick.

  1. to give serious and careful thought to

    "the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office"

    similar: chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with), beat one's brains out (about), chew on, cudgel one's brains (about), look at
    related: muse (upon), reflect (on or upon), reminisce, analyze, explore, review, conclude, reason, second-guess, speculate (about), brood (about or over), dwell (on or upon), fixate (on or upon), fret (about or over), obsess (about or over), believe, conceive, opine, absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in)
    near: disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, dismiss, pooh-pooh, reject

  2. to spend time in aimless activity

    "I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions"

    similar: doodle, fiddle (around), fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang about (British), mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle
    related: dally, dawdle, dillydally, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, clown (around), horse around, diddle (with), tinker
    near: buckle (down), knuckle down, set (to), settle (down)

  3. to spend time doing nothing

    "spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall"

    similar: bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), idle, kick back, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs
    related: fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, furlough, goldbrick, malinger, truant
    near: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

  4. to move about from place to place aimlessly

    "after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home"

    similar: bat, cruise, drift, float, gad (about), gallivant, knock (about), maunder, meander, mooch, ramble, range, roam, rove, traipse, wander
    related: amble, saunter, stroll, dawdle, mope, hobo, tramp, vagabond, mill (about or around), straggle, stray

  5. to inflict physical or emotional harm upon

    "children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around"

    similar: abuse, brutalize, bully, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, manhandle, mess over (slang), mishandle, mistreat, misuse, take apart
    related: molest, outrage, violate, harass, harm, hurt, injure, oppress, persecute, torment, torture, burn, sandbag, victimize, wrong, beat (up), mess (up), rough (up), work (over)
    near: care (for), cherish, foster, nurture, baby, cater (to), coddle, favor, gratify, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil

Related Entry: Kick back (verb)

Kick back is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick back, not for kick.

  1. to refrain from labor or exertion

    "I plan to spend the day kicking back and watching television"

    similar: bask, loll, lounge, relax, repose, rest
    related: bum, goldbrick, hang, hang about (British), hang around, idle, loaf, slack (off), veg out
    near: drudge, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, travail, work, exercise, work out

  2. to spend time doing nothing

    "a good resort for people who want to kick back and watch others exercise strenuously"

    similar: bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), idle, kick around, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs
    related: fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, furlough, goldbrick, malinger, truant
    near: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Related Entry: Kick in (verb)

Kick in is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick in, not for kick.

  1. to make a donation as part of a group effort

    "if everyone in the department kicks in, we can give him an especially nice present for his retirement"

    similar: chip in, contribute, pitch in
    related: bestow, donate, give, present, award, confer, dole (out), endow, afford, furnish, provide

  2. to stop living

    "the ornery cuss finally kicked in at the ripe old age of 90"

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, die, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick off (slang), part, pass (on), pass away, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

Related Entry: Kick off (verb)

Kick off is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick off, not for kick.

  1. to take the first step in (a process or course of action)

    "I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question"

    similar: begin, commence, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, launch, lead off, open, start, strike (into), get going, get to, set about
    related: create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate, adopt, embrace, take on, take up, establish, father, found, institute, organize, pioneer, set up, spawn, get around (to), get down (to), get round (to)
    opposite: conclude, end, finish, terminate
    near: cease, desist, discontinue, halt, knock off, lay off, quit, stop, close, complete, abandon, forsake, leave, abolish, demolish, destroy, exterminate, extinguish, phase out

  2. to stop living

    "surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off"

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, die, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in (slang), part, pass (on), pass away, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

Related Entry: Kick out (verb)

Kick out is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick out, not for kick.

  1. to drive or force out

    "kicked out of the game for using bad language"

    similar: banish, boot (out), bounce, cast out, chase, dismiss, drum (out), eject, expel, extrude, oust, out, rout, run off, throw out, turf (out) (chiefly British), turn out, give one the gate (slang), send packing
    related: deforce, deport, displace, dispossess, evict, exile, expatriate, ostracize, read out, shut out, ax, can, cashier, defenestrate, discharge, fire, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate
    near: accept, admit, receive, take, take in, welcome, entertain, harbor, house, lodge, shelter

Related Entry: Kick butt (phrase)

Kick butt is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick butt, not for kick.

  1. to achieve victory (as in a contest)

    "Everyone was surprised when the shy student kicked butt in the school talent show."

    similar: conquer, prevail, triumph, win, carry the day
    related: overcome, sweep, squeak, squeeze, contend, vie, succeed, breeze, romp
    opposite: lose
    near: collapse, fail, flop, fold, wash out, flounder, struggle, decline, slip, slump, wane

Related Entry: Kick over the traces (phrase)

Kick over the traces is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick over the traces, not for kick.

  1. to rise up against established authority

    "Of course he's kicking over the traces, he's a teenager!"

    similar: mutiny, rebel, revolt
    related: defy, disobey, mock, revolutionize, buck, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, withstand
    near: comply (with), follow, mind, obey, submit, attend, serve

Related Entry: Kick the bucket (phrase)

Kick the bucket is a different word from Kick. The synonyms below are for kick the bucket, not for kick.

  1. to stop living

    "He had things he wanted to accomplish before he kicked the bucket."

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, die, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in (slang), kick off (slang), pass (on), pass away, part, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Kick

The most common words with a similar meaning to Kick:

Chiefly British: maunder
British: whinge
Slang: gas
beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kvetch, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, yammer, yawp, yowl, demur, except, expostulate, object, protest

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Kick

Words with the opposite meaning of Kick:

crow, delight, rejoice

Related Words for Kick

object (to), quarrel (with), cavil, quibble, fret, stew, worry, blubber, cry, sob, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, dare, defy, fight, conflict, debate, dispute, hassle, quarrel, squabble, wrangle, balk, gag, stick, censure, criticize, denounce

Near Antonyms of Kick

accept, bear, countenance, endure, take, tolerate, applaud, cheer, commend, approve, sanction, accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, adhere, comply, conform, follow, mind, obey, observe, advocate, champion, defend, maintain, support, sustain, uphold, willingness

Word Forms of Kick

Inflections: kicked, kicking, kicks

Derived words: kickable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Kick

Middle English kiken

First known use: 14th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Kick

Words & Phrases Containing Kick

kick around, kick ass, kick-ass, kick back, kick butt, kick drum, kick in, kick it

Frequently Asked Questions about Kick

What does "Kick" mean?

"Kick" means to strike out with the foot or feet. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to strike out with the foot or feet. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Kick"?

Other words for "Kick" include beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain and crab. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Kick" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Kick"?

There are 195 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Kick". Common alternatives include beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak and fuss.

What is the opposite of "Kick"?

Antonyms of "Kick" include crow, delight and rejoice. Near antonyms include accept, bear, countenance and endure.

How do you use "Kick" in a sentence?

Examples of "Kick" in a sentence: "he's been kicking all week about not getting the promotion"; "fiscal conservatives have already started to kick about the proposed program, claiming it will increase the state's deficit substantially"; "I get a kick out of downhill skiing".

Is "Kick" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Kick" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Kick" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Kick" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Kick"?

"Kick" is pronounced /ˈkik/.