kicking
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a violent attack where someone is hit many times with feet.
n.a violent physical assault characterized by repeated strikes with the feet.
Simple“The victim was lucky to escape without serious injury after the kicking.”
In context“The witness described a brutal kicking in the alleyway, noting that the attackers fled as soon as they heard police sirens in the distance.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.full of life, energy, or health.
adj.functioning, healthy, or active; almost exclusively used in the fixed idiom 'alive and kicking'.
Simple“Despite the rumours that the company was closing, it is still alive and kicking.”
In context“The local arts scene is alive and kicking, with several new galleries opening despite the challenging economic climate of the past year.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.very exciting, lively, or stylish.
adj.denoting a state of high energy, excellence, or fashionable appeal.
Simple“That party last night was absolutely kicking.”
In context“The club was kicking by midnight, with a line of people stretching down the block hoping to get inside.”
UsageUsually functions as a predicative adjective after a linking verb like 'be'.
“Then some early promise – without even kicking a ball, by 5pm on Saturday they had risen up a whole quarter of the table, to 15th.”
“All of the gas that’s drilled in the North Sea is used in this country and Labour has been kicking this decision into the long grass because their heart’s not really in it.”