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Glite Dictionary
king hit

king hit

9.5
A sudden very strong blow or event that has a big effect
  • noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : golpe decisivo
  • The boxer knocked out his opponent with a king hit in the third round.

Examples

  • He was suspended for delivering a dangerous king hit during the game.

  • The boxer delivered a powerful king hit!

  • The movie's plot delivered a king hit of emotion in the final scene.

  • He received a king hit during the match.

  • The boxer knocked out his opponent with a king hit in the third round.

  • He was suspended for delivering a dangerous king hit during the game.

  • The crowd erupted in cheers after the fighter executed a stunning king hit.

Synonyms

blow
vsking hit
271 2.0

A strong hit from a fist or weapon

is more sudden and often stronger, sometimes leaving someone unconscious
smash
vsking hit
7 3.0

A very hard hit in sport, like in tennis

is more sudden and can also mean a decisive event
KO
vsking hit
6 5.3

A blow that knocks the other fighter unconscious and ends the match

can also mean a sudden decisive event beyond combat situations
knockout punch
vsking hit
3 3.6

A hit that makes the other fighter unable to continue, often ending the match

is sudden and often unexpected and also describes a decisive event

How Powerful

king hit
  • NSFW
9.5
blow
271 2.0
to hit
∞ 1.0
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

king hit singular
king hits plural

Morphology

king + hit

The meaning is partly compositional: 'king' conveys largeness or dominance and 'hit' is a blow, so a B1 learner who knows both words could plausibly infer 'a very powerful blow'. However, the conventionalized sense — a sudden, often unexpected knockout punch (and its regional slang status) — and the nuance of decisiveness/unexpectedness are not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

King hit may come from the image of a single, powerful blow that could knock over a king, with king meaning very big or important and hit meaning a blow. That's why today king hit means 'a sudden, powerful blow' and can also mean a 'decisive event'.