kick
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to hit something or someone with your foot.
v.to strike or propel an object or person using the foot or leg.
Simple“The boy liked to kick the ball against the wall for hours.”
In context“The striker managed to kick the ball into the top corner of the net just seconds before the final whistle blew.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop doing something that is bad for you, like a habit.
v.to overcome or free oneself from a persistent habit or addiction.
Simple“He finally managed to kick his habit of drinking too much coffee.”
In context“Medical professionals often suggest that patients join support groups when they are trying to kick a long-term smoking addiction.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to force someone to leave a group, a game, or an online chat.
v.to summarily eject a participant from a group or an online activity.
Simple“The moderator had to kick the user for being rude to others.”
In context“The server administrator decided to kick several players who were consistently violating the community guidelines regarding fair play.”
- 04 A2 Elementary
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a feeling of excitement, energy, or pleasure.
n.a surge of pleasurable excitement or a temporary thrill.
Simple“She gets a real kick out of seeing her students succeed.”
In context“Many adrenaline junkies get a kick out of skydiving, despite the obvious risks involved in the sport.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a strong, spicy, or sharp taste in food or drink.
n.a pungent or spicy quality that provides a sharp stimulus to the palate.
Simple“The ginger gives this fresh juice a nice little kick.”
In context“The chef added a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce to give it an extra kick without overpowering the delicate flavours of the seafood.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
n.the sudden backward movement of a gun when it is fired.
n.the reactive backward spring or recoil of a firearm upon discharge.
Simple“The rifle had a powerful kick that surprised the new shooter.”
In context“Experienced marksmen learn to compensate for the kick of a high-calibre weapon to maintain accuracy during rapid fire.”
- 08 C1 Advanced
n.a pair of shoes, especially sneakers.
n.a slang term for footwear, typically referring to fashionable or athletic sneakers.
Simple“He just bought a brand new pair of kicks for the basketball season.”
In context“The collector spent thousands of dollars on limited-edition kicks that he intended to keep in pristine condition.”
From Middle English kyken (“to strike out with the foot”), from Old Norse kikna (“to sink at the knees”) and keikja (“to bend backwards”) (compare Old Norse keikr (“bent backwards, the belly jutting forward”)), from Proto-Germanic kaikaz (“bent backwards”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic kī-, kij- (“to split, dodge, swerve sidewards”), from Proto-Indo-European ǵeyH- (“to sprout, shoot”). Compare also Dutch kijken (“to look”), Middle Low German kīken (“to look, watch”). See keek.
Shortening of kick the bucket.
Shortening of kick ass
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.