# King

/ˈkɪŋ/ (US) · /kˈɪŋ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. monarch

noun · CEFR A2

a man who rules a country because he belongs to a royal family.

For teachers: a male sovereign who heads a monarchy, typically by hereditary right.

- The king addressed the nation from the palace balcony during the celebration.
- Following the sudden death of his father, the young prince was crowned king in a ceremony attended by leaders from across the globe.

### 2. influential person

noun · CEFR B2

a man who is very successful or powerful in a particular activity or business.

For teachers: a person who holds a preeminent or dominant position within a specific field or industry.

- He is known as the king of pop because of his many hit songs.
- Having dominated the steel industry for three decades, he was widely regarded as the undisputed king of American manufacturing.

### 3. chess piece

noun · CEFR A2

the most important piece in the game of chess.

For teachers: the principal piece in chess, the capture of which is the objective of the game.

- The game ended when he moved his queen to trap his opponent's king.
- The grandmaster spent ten minutes calculating whether his king could reach the corner before the pawn was promoted.

### 4. playing cards

noun · CEFR A2

a playing card with a picture of a king on it.

For teachers: a playing card bearing the representation of a king, usually ranking above a queen and below an ace.

- She won the hand because she held the king of hearts.
- The dealer revealed a king and a jack, giving the player a total of twenty points in the final round.

### 5. term of respect

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a word used to praise a man for doing something great or being a good friend.

For teachers: a term of address or reference used to express high regard, admiration, or solidarity.

- You dropped your wallet and he returned it? What a king.
- The comments section was flooded with users calling the athlete a king for his charitable donations after the championship.

### 6. to crown

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

to make someone a king.

For teachers: to invest a person with the office or title of king.

- The people gathered in the square to see the new ruler kinged.
- Historical accounts differ on exactly which bishop was chosen to king the usurper after the previous monarch fled.

### 7. checkers/draughts

verb · CEFR B1

to turn a piece into a king in the game of checkers.

For teachers: to promote a piece in draughts or checkers by placing another piece on top of it.

- I managed to get my piece to the last row, so you have to king me.
- By strategically sacrificing two pieces, she forced her opponent into a position where she could king her remaining checker.

## Examples

- The king lives in a large palace.
- After the old king died, his eldest son took the throne during a ceremony in the capital.
- While historical kings often wielded absolute power over their subjects, most modern monarchs serve as symbolic figureheads within a constitutional framework that limits their political influence.

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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.