# dick

/ˈdɪk/ (US) · /dˈɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dick
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. body part

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang · Vulgar

a vulgar word for the penis.

For teachers: the penis. Highly informal and vulgar; generally avoided in polite or professional contexts.

- The comedian made a crude joke about his dick during the late-night show.
- The script was heavily edited for the television broadcast to remove several explicit references to the protagonist's dick.

Usage: Countable in this sense.

### 2. an obnoxious person

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang · Vulgar

a very rude way to describe someone who is mean, selfish, or annoying.

For teachers: a contemptible, obnoxious, or highly unpleasant person. While traditionally applied to men, it is increasingly used as a gender-neutral insult in casual speech.

- Don't be such a dick; just let him have a turn with the game.
- He gained a reputation for being a total dick to his subordinates, often taking credit for their hard work during board meetings.

Usage: Countable; frequently used in the construction 'to be a dick'.

### 3. nothing at all

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Informal · Slang · Vulgar

absolutely nothing.

For teachers: nothing; used for emphasis in negative constructions to indicate a total lack of something.

- I worked all weekend and I got paid dick for it.
- Despite the hours of testimony provided by the witnesses, the prosecution actually had dick in terms of physical evidence.

Usage: Uncountable; usually follows the verb 'to have' or 'to get'.

### 4. a detective

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Archaic · Slang

an old-fashioned word for a detective.

For teachers: a private investigator or police detective. This usage is largely confined to mid-20th-century crime fiction and film noir.

- The old movie featured a private dick wearing a trench coat and a hat.
- The novel pays homage to classic noir tropes, featuring a cynical house dick who knows every secret in the hotel.

Teaching tip: This sense is dated; modern speakers rarely use it except when referencing old detective movies or books.

### 5. to treat someone badly

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang · Vulgar

to treat someone unfairly or to cheat them.

For teachers: to mistreat, deceive, or take advantage of someone. Often used with 'around' to mean wasting someone's time.

- The company really dicked him over when they cancelled his pension.
- The contractor dicked us around for three months before finally admitting he hadn't even ordered the materials.

Usage: Transitive; frequently appears in the phrasal verb 'dick over' or 'dick around'.

## Examples

- He was acting like a total dick at the party.
- The comedian's set was full of crude jokes about his own dick, which some audience members found offensive.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.