Skip to main content
kick

kick

2 5.9
The backward push you feel when a gun is fired
  • noun
  • /kɪk/
: retroceso
  • A bullet wings Kato's trailing foot, but then the kick drives home, deep, impossibly deep into Terrell's midsection.
  • kick of a gun
  • felt a kick
  • kick of a shotgun

So the visceral aspect of it, you feel the kick, you feel the impact.

Examples

  • So the visceral aspect of it, you feel the kick, you feel the impact.

  • You know, that last blast had a little more kick than I expected.

  • Phillip, knocked to the floor by the revolver's kick, recovers to his knees, shaking like a leaf.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • But Grandpa's gun had a hell of a kick and was too large for easy concealment.

  • Both cartridges have a truly startling reduction in kick and a substantial reduction in noise.

Synonyms

recoil
vskick
14 6.3

A sudden backward movement after a strong hit or when a gun is fired

has identical meaning but is the alternate common term used for the same force

Antonyms

283 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

35 3.5

A time of complete quiet and no movement that feels calm

Idioms

21 8.6

Get rid of someone or something you no longer want

9 8.6

To die, said in casual or joking speech

8 4.2

Stop doing something bad you do often, for example smoking

7 6.7

To look at and try something before you decide to buy or use it

kick in the butt
  • Offensive
6 7.9

A kick to the behind that punishes someone

6 7.4

A very bad disappointment that makes you feel hurt and unfairly treated

3 6.4

Complain loudly about something small

on a kick
  • Informal
3 8.4

Having a strong interest in one activity for a short time

2 9.9

To do very well and act confidently, often in a forceful way

2 9.3

Play loud, energetic music to make people excited

1 8.8

Beat someone by a lot

To treat someone badly when they already have problems

Try again to do something after failing

To resist authority in a way that is useless and makes things worse

dog to kick
  • Informal
9.9

A person unfairly blamed when something goes wrong

Waste effort arguing about something everyone already agrees with

7.8

To wait doing nothing because you are delayed or bored

Suddenly stop seeing or talking to someone

7.2

To have fun and forget your worries

Compounds

free kick
  • Specialized
6 2.3

A kick given to a team after the other team breaks a rule, taken without nearby opponents

extra kick
  • Informal
3 3.5

A small spicy taste or sudden energy that makes something more exciting

3 2.4

A kick in football taken from the corner after a defender last touched the ball for the attacking team

kick start
  • Specialized
2 4.7

A lever on a motorcycle that you press with your foot to start the engine

1 3.6

A kick by the defending team from the goal area to restart play after the ball crosses the goal line

1 6.6

An attempt to score by kicking the ball between the goalposts

kick-out
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A kick that a goalkeeper makes to send the ball back into play

1 8.2

A skiing move where you lift one ski and turn to go the other way while standing

scissors kick
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A swimming leg movement that opens and closes the legs to move the body forward in sidestroke

kick up
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A quick move that sends both legs over your head to start a handstand

kick pleat
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A short fold at the back of a straight skirt or coat that lets you walk easily

1 4.0

The act of forcing someone to leave a place or group

dolphin kick
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A swimming move used underwater in which both legs move up and down together in a smooth wave

flutter kick
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A fast up-and-down kick with straight legs used in freestyle and backstroke

kick plate
  • Specialized
1 3.3

A metal or plastic strip fixed to the bottom of a door to protect it from scuff marks

place kick
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A kick in sports like football where the ball is placed on the ground to score or restart play

frog kick
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A swimming movement where you pull your knees up, straighten your legs, and push them together like a frog

1 4.9

A strong spicy taste like black pepper that feels sharp in the mouth

A repeated leg movement in swimming that pushes the body forward

kick starter
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A lever on a motorcycle you push with your foot to start the motor

9.9

A chaotic rushed situation that happens because of poor planning

kick plate
  • Specialized
4.6

A removable panel at the bottom of an appliance or door that protects it and gives access to parts inside

How Strong

kick
2 5.9
jolt
53 3.8
jerk
47 2.2

Surface Forms

kick singular
kicks plural

Etymology

Kick for a gun's recoil uses the same idea of a sudden hit: the gun seems to 'kick' back into your shoulder like a quick strike. So the kick of a gun is the sharp backward movement you feel when it fires.