English Reference

Word

dick

US/ˈdɪk/

UK/dˈɪk/

Definitions

01body part

C1

n. a vulgar word for the penis.

n. 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.”

Informal · Slang · Vulgar

Usage

Countable in this sense.

Synonyms

02an obnoxious person

C1

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

n. 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.”

Informal · Slang · Vulgar

Usage

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

Synonyms

03nothing at all

C2

n. absolutely nothing.

n. 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.”

American English · Informal · Slang · Vulgar

Usage

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

Synonyms

Antonyms

04a detective

C2

n. an old-fashioned word for a detective.

n. 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.”

American English · Archaic · Slang

Teaching tip

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

Synonyms

05to treat someone badly

C1

v. to treat someone unfairly or to cheat them.

v. 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.”

Informal · Slang · Vulgar

Usage

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

Synonyms

cheatmistreatexploit

Real-World Examples

“Imagine all of the care, detail and wit of the brilliant Girls5eva replaced with conference room lighting and dick jokes.”
The Guardian · 12 Sept 2026
“Jason says he wasn't motivated by swaggering alpha masculinity - "I don't subscribe to 'how big your dick is, is how big of a man you are'".”
BBC News · 15 Aug 2026

Etymology

Rhyming nickname for Rick, pet form of Richard.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms

big dick energy — Unassuming self-confidence.

coke dick — Erectile dysfunction caused by cocaine use.

crystal dick — Erectile dysfunction caused by methamphetamine use or other drug use.

dick milk — Semen.

dick munch — An idiot or foolish person.

let crazy stick its dick in you — To have sex with a male deemed insane.

small dick energy — A lack of self-confidence; timidity, diffidence.

stick one's dick in crazy — To have sex with an individual deemed insane.

suck my dick — Synonym of suck my cock.

whiskey dick — Impotence caused by heavy drinking.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference