ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ducked

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈdəkt// UK //dˈʌkt// ducked
SIMPLE

He ducked when he saw the ball flying toward him.

CONTEXTUAL

She ducked behind the counter to avoid being spotted by the customer walking past the window.

COMPLEX

As the low-hanging branch swept toward the boat, every passenger ducked instinctively to avoid a collision that could have caused serious injury.

Usage

The verb can be used intransitively or with a prepositional phrase indicating direction or location.

Idioms1 entry

Last updated June 17, 2026