kick

kick¹ W3S2 [kık] v [I and T]

1.) to hit something with your foot

kick sth down/over/around etc

▪ Billy was kicking a ball around the yard.

▪ The police kicked the door down.

kick sb in the stomach/face/shin etc

▪ There was a scuffle and he kicked me in the stomach.

2.) to move your legs as if you were kicking something

▪ He kicked off his shoes and lay back on the bed.

▪ a row of dancers kicking their legs in the air

▪ A horse trotted past, kicking up dust from the road.

3.) kick yourself

spoken used to say that you are annoyed with yourself because you have done something silly, made a mistake etc

▪ You'll kick yourself when I tell you the answer.

▪ United will be kicking themselves for missing several chances.

4.) kick the habit

to stop doing something that is a harmful habit, such as smoking, taking drugs etc

▪ The scheme has already helped hundreds of smokers to kick the habit.

5.) kick sb when they are down

to criticize or attack someone who is already in a weak or difficult position

▪ The media can't resist kicking a man when he's down.

6.) kick sb in the teeth

kick sb in the stomach/pants AmE informal to disappoint someone or treat them badly at a time when they need help

▪ We all have times when life kicks us in the teeth.

7.) kick sb's ass/butt

AmE informal not polite to punish or defeat someone

▪ We're gonna kick San Francisco's ass good tonight.

8.) kick ass

AmE informal not polite used to say that someone or something is very good or impressive

▪ Tucson pop band Shoebomb kick some serious ass.

9.) kick your heels

BrE to waste time waiting for something

▪ We were left kicking our heels for half the day.

10.) kick up your heels

to enjoy yourself a lot at a party, event etc

▪ The charity ball is a chance to kick up your heels and help a good cause.

11.) kick sth into touch

BrE informal to stop a plan or project before it is completed

▪ A hitch resulted in the deal being kicked firmly into touch.

12.) kick up a fuss/stink/row informal

to complain loudly about something

▪ Won't he kick up a fuss when he discovers they're missing?

13.) kicking and screaming

protesting violently or being very unwilling to do something

▪ The London Stock Exchange was dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century.

14.) kick the shit out of sb

informal not polite to hurt someone very badly by kicking them many times

15.) kick against the pricks

BrE informal to hurt or damage yourself by trying to change something that cannot be changed

16.) kick sb upstairs

to move someone to a new job that seems to be more important than their last one, but that actually gives them less influence

17.) be kicking (it)

AmE spoken to be relaxing and having a good time

▪ I was just kicking with my buddies.

18.) be kicking it

AmE spoken to be having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone

be kicking it with

▪ My sources say that she was kicking it with Thomas while she was on tour.

19.) kick over the traces

BrE old-fashioned to start behaving badly by refusing to accept any control or rules

20.) kick the bucket

old-fashioned to die - used humorously

kick (out) against [kick (out) against sth] phr v

to react strongly against something

▪ She has kicked out against authority all her life.

kick around phr v

1.) kick sth around

to think about or discuss an idea before making a decision

▪ We kicked that suggestion around and in the end decided to go ahead.

2.) kick sb around

to treat someone badly and unfairly

▪ I have my pride, you know. They can't kick me around.

3.) kick around (sth)

to be in a place doing things but without any firm plans

= ↑knock around

▪ He kicked around India for a few months.

4.) to be left in a place untidily or forgotten

▪ There's a copy of the report kicking around somewhere.

kick back phr v

to relax

▪ Your waitress will take your order while you kick back and enjoy the game.

kick in phr v

1.) informal to start or to begin to have an effect

▪ The storm is expected to kick in shortly after sunrise.

▪ The painkillers kicked in and he became sleepy.

2.) kick in (sth)

to join with others in giving money or help

= ↑chip in

▪ Bill never wants to kick in.

▪ We were each asked to kick in 50 cents toward the cost.

3.) kick sb's head/face/teeth in

to injure someone badly by kicking them

▪ He threatened to come round and kick my head in.

4.) kick a door in

to kick a locked door so hard that it breaks open

▪ We had to get the police to kick the door in.

kick off phr v

1.) if a meeting, event, or a football game kicks off, it starts

▪ What time does the laser show kick off?

▪ The match kicks off at noon.

kick off with

▪ The series kicked off with an interview with Brando.

2.) informal if you kick off a discussion, meeting, event etc, you start it

▪ OK Marion, would you care to kick off?

kick sth<=>off (with sth)

▪ I'm going to kick off today's meeting with a few remarks about the budget.

3.) kick sb off sth informal

to remove someone from a team or group

▪ Joe was kicked off the committee for stealing funds.

4.) AmE informal to die

kick out [kick sb<=>out] phr v

to make someone leave a place, job etc

= ↑throw out

▪ Bernard's wife kicked him out.

kick somebody<=>out of

▪ He was kicked out of the golf club.

kick ²

kick² n

1.) a movement of your foot or leg, usually to hit something with your foot

▪ Brazil scored with the last kick of the match.

▪ Rory aimed a kick at her leg and missed.

▪ kung fu kicks

▪ If the door won't open just give it a good kick .

2.) the act of kicking the ball in a sports game such as football, or the ball that is kicked and the direction it goes in

▪ Benjamin struck a post with an overhead kick.

free/penalty kick

(=an opportunity, allowed by the rules, for a player in one team to kick the ball without being stopped by the other team)

▪ Pearce came forward to take the free kick .

3.) something that you enjoy because it is exciting

= ↑thrill get a kick out of/from (doing) sth

▪ Gerald gets a kick out of dressing as a woman.

give sb a kick

▪ It gives her a kick to get you into trouble.

do sth (just) for kicks

▪ She used to steal from shops for kicks.

4.) a kick up the arse/backside/pants etc informal

criticism or strong encouragement to make someone do something they should have done

▪ What Phil needs is a good kick up the arse .

5.) a kick in the teeth informal

something that is very disappointing or upsetting that happens when you need support

▪ This broken promise is a real kick in the teeth for our fans.

6.) a kick informal

used to talk about the strong effect of a drink or drug or the strong taste that some food has

▪ The wine had a real kick.