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Glite Dictionary
😞 To mistreat 💬 To discuss informally ⏳ Still active
to kick around

to kick around

9 4.6
Discuss an idea informally without making a decision
  • phrasal verb
  • /kɪk əˈraʊnd/
  • Informal
translation icon : comentar
  • We've had lots of fun at the dinner table kicking around ideas.
  • kicked around ideas
  • kicked around a bit

Examples

  • There is a subject that I have been kicking around in my head for about a month now.

    Blog text (17)

  • For a while now, we at Teen Skepchick have been kicking around the idea of doing a podcast.

    Blog text (11)

  • Perhaps we should kick around these ideas next time we get together.

    Blog text (17)

  • Right now I am kicking around an idea to do a web talk show on a boat.

    Blog text (6)

  • State lawmakers in Rhode Island are kicking around the idea of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

    Blog text (14)

  • We spent the afternoon kicking around ideas for our new project.

  • During our meeting, we kicked around several proposals without making any final decisions.

  • Let's kick around some suggestions for the event's theme before finalizing the details.

Synonyms

to chat about
vsto kick around
  • Informal
40 1.6

To talk in a friendly, casual way about a subject

is similar but focuses more on tossing ideas without resolution
to bandy about
vsto kick around
11 6.8

Talk about an idea or name without careful thought

shares casual tone but emphasizes less careful consideration
to spitball
vsto kick around
  • Informal
8 7.8

To offer ideas quickly without much planning

covers casual idea discussion but not only playful suggestion
to moot
vsto kick around
3 6.0

To suggest an idea for discussion

is more casual and usually lacks the formal debate intent
to bandy
vsto kick around
3 7.0

To mention an idea or rumor again and again without serious thought

is similar but stresses informal idea tossing without final decisions
to bounce around
vsto kick around
  • Informal
1 3.9

Discuss ideas informally with other people

is similar but often avoids making a firm decision
to confab
vsto kick around
  • Informal
1 8.5

To talk briefly and informally with someone, often in private

leans more toward casual idea talk without necessarily deciding
to confabulate
vsto kick around
8.8

To talk together to make a decision

is more casual and often stops short of deciding
to discussing
vsto kick around
1.8

Talking with someone to share ideas and opinions

is usually less formal and more about informal idea tossing
to jive about
vsto kick around
  • Informal
8.5

To talk in a lively, informal way about things like music

is equally informal but more about trying out ideas casually

Antonyms

to decide
∞ 1.0

To end a disagreement by choosing a final outcome

to resolve
623 3.3

To find an answer to a problem and end a disagreement

How Serious

to deliberate
43 4.4
to debate
474 2.8
to discuss
∞ 1.6
to kick around
  • Informal
9 4.6
to bring up
788 2.6
to mention
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

kick around infinitive
kicked around past
kicked around past participle
kicking around present participle
kicks around third person singular

Morphology

kick + around

The sense 'to treat someone badly' is a motivated metaphorical extension of literal 'kick' (physically strike), so a learner who knows 'kick' and 'around' could plausibly infer a meaning of mistreatment. However, the exact nuance of repeated or casual abuse conveyed by 'around' and the idiomatic verb+particle usage are not fully predictable without exposure, making it only partially transparent.

Etymology

Kick around comes from the image of people casually kicking a ball back and forth; to kick something around is to move it lightly, so ideas that are 'kicked around' are talked about in a relaxed, informal way.