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kick

kick

41 5.9
The backward push you feel when a gun is fired
  • noun
  • /kɪk/
translation icon : 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
16 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

363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

38 3.5

A time of complete quiet and no movement that feels calm

Idioms

12 9.4

Suddenly stop seeing or talking to someone

7 8.6

To die, said in casual or joking speech

7 8.6

Get rid of someone or something you no longer want

5 4.2

Stop doing something bad you do often, for example smoking

3 7.4

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

3 7.2

To have fun and forget your worries

3 6.7

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

3 9.9

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

kick in the butt
  • Offensive
2 7.9

A kick to the behind that punishes someone

2 6.4

Complain loudly about something small

To treat someone badly when they already have problems

1 9.3

Play loud, energetic music to make people excited

1 8.8

Beat someone by a lot

on a kick
  • Informal
1 8.4

Having a strong interest in one activity for a short time

dog to kick
  • Informal
9.9

A person unfairly blamed when something goes wrong

Waste effort arguing about something everyone already agrees with

Try again to do something after failing

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

7.8

To wait doing nothing because you are delayed or bored

Compounds

14 4.0

The act of forcing someone to leave a place or group

free kick
  • Specialized
7 2.3

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

3 2.4

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

kick up
  • Specialized
1 6.9

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

kick-out
  • Specialized
1 4.8

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

extra kick
  • Informal
1 3.5

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

1 3.6

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

1 8.2

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

dolphin kick
  • Specialized
4.0

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

flutter kick
  • Specialized
3.4

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

frog kick
  • Specialized
3.5

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

9.9

A chaotic rushed situation that happens because of poor planning

kick plate
  • Specialized
3.3

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

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

kick pleat
  • Specialized
7.9

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

kick start
  • Specialized
4.7

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

kick starter
  • Specialized
4.7

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

6.6

An attempt to score by kicking the ball between the goalposts

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

place kick
  • Specialized
3.8

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

scissors kick
  • Specialized
4.3

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

A repeated leg movement in swimming that pushes the body forward

How Strong

kick
41 5.9
jolt
64 3.8
jerk
7 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.