kick

1 verb

1 HIT WITH YOUR FOOT (I, T) to hit something with your foot: She kicked me under the table. | Joe, stop kicking! | kick sth down/over etc: The police kicked the door down. | kick sth around/towards etc: Billy was kicking a ball around the yard. | kick sb in the head/face/stomach etc: I got kicked in the face playing rugby.

2 MOVE YOUR LEGS (I, T) to move your legs as if you were kicking something: The cow may kick a bit when you milk her. | kick your legs: They danced and sang and kicked their legs high in the air.

3 KICK A GOAL (T) to score 2 (1) by kicking: kick a goal: He kicked two penalty goals in the last ten minutes.

4 kick a habit to stop doing something that is a harmful habit: Some smokers find it surprisingly easy to kick the habit.

5 be kicking yourself/will kick yourself/could have kicked yourself spoken used to say that someone is annoyed with themselves because they realize that they have made a mistake or missed a chance: I could have kicked myself for getting her name wrong. | You'll kick yourself when I tell you the answer. | I bet they are kicking themselves now.

6 kick sb when they are down to criticize or attack someone who is already in a weak position or having difficulties: The newspapers cannot resist kicking a man when he is down.

7 kick sb in the teeth informal to disappoint or discourage someone very much, especially when they need support or hope: Why is it that whenever I ask you for help you kick me in the teeth?

8 kick (sb's) ass AmE slang

a) to punish or defeat someone: We really kicked their ass today, didn't we?

b) to have fun in a noisy violent way: Come on, let's kick some ass!

9 kick over the traces BrE to free yourself from control and start to behave as if there are no moral restrictions: Haven't you ever felt you must go out and kick over the traces?

10 kick sb upstairs to move someone to a job that seems to be more important than their present one but actually means that they have less influence

11 kick your heels to waste time waiting for something: We were sitting around kicking our heels for half the day.

12 kick the bucket humorous informal to die

kick about/around phrasal verb

1 be kicking about/around (sth)

a) to be lying somewhere untidily, especially when forgotten: You should find a copy of the report kicking around somewhere. | Goodness knows how many bottles he has kicking about his flat.

b) to be travelling around a place with no fixed plan: He's been kicking around Australia for eight months.

2 (T) kick sb about/around to discuss an idea with a group of people in order to decide whether it is good or not: Perhaps we could kick one or two of these ideas around for a while.

3 (T) kick sb about/around to treat someone badly and unfairly: She was tired of being kicked around by her boss.

kick (out) against phrasal verb (T) to react strongly against something: She has kicked out against authority all her life. kick in phrasal verb

1 (I) informal to begin to have an effect or come into operation: I could feel the painkillers kick in. | Other benefits kick in at a certain level of income.

2 (I, T) AmE to join with others in giving money or help; contribute: He doesn't really want to kick in and help. | We're going to buy Bob a present - do you want to kick in something?

3 kick sb's face/sb's head in to severely wound someone by kicking them: He threatened to kick my head in.

4 (T) to kick a door so hard that it breaks open: We had to get the police to kick the door in.

kick off phrasal verb

1 (I) when a game of football kicks off, it starts: The match kicks off at 3 o'clock.

2 (I, T) if you kick off a meeting, event etc, or if it kicks off, it starts: The meeting kicked off at 11.00. | Right, who would like to kick off? | kick sth off (with): I'm going to kick off today's proceedings with a few remarks about next year's budget.

3 (T) kick your shoes off to remove your shoes by shaking them off your feet: I slumped into the armchair and kicked off my shoes.

kick sb out phrasal verb (T) to make someone leave or dismiss them: Bernard's wife had kicked him out. (+ of): He's been kicked out of the golf club. kick up sth phrasal verb (T)

1 kick up a fuss/row to loudly complain and show you are annoyed about something: He was kicking up an awful fuss about his coldmeal.

2 to make something, especially dust, go up into the air while you are walking: As they marched, the soldiers kicked up clouds of dust.

2 noun

1 (C) an act of hitting something with your foot: Brazil scored with the last kick of the match. | give sb/sth a good kick (=to kick them hard): If the outer door won't open just give it a good kick.

2 (C) an opportunity, allowed by the referee, for one team in a game of football or rugby to kick the ball without being stopped by the other team: a free kick | take a kick: Pearce came forward to take the kick.

3 a kick up the arse/backside etc informal severe criticism or punishment for something you have done wrong: Phil needs a good kick up the arse.

4 be a kick in the teeth informal to be very disappointing or discouraging, especially when you need support or hope: Her refusal to see me was a real kick in the teeth.

5 get a kick out of sth/get a kick from sth to really enjoy doing something: Alan gets a real kick out of his job.

6 give sb a kick to give someone a strong feeling of pleasure: It gives her a kick to get you into trouble.

7 do sth for kicks/get your kicks from sth informal to do something, especially something dangerous or harmful, in order to get a feeling of excitement: Apparently she steals from supermarkets just for kicks.

8 have a kick (to it) informal to have a strong effect or taste, especially alcohol

9 be on a health/decorating/Italian food etc kick informal to have a strong new interest: I'm on a health kick at the moment.