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knockout

knockout

14 5.1
Very strong and impressive in a way that has a big effect
  • adjective
  • /ˈnɑːkˌaʊt/
translation icon : espectacular
  • Last Wednesday, Democratic candidate for Congress Dr. Lee Rogers delivered a knockout performance against Republican Congressman Howard.

Well, Brené Brown, her like knockout punch sentence that stuck with me is guilt as I did something bad.

Examples

  • We need a knockout punch.

  • Next we have Knockout, which is like a really vibrant, bright, but yet soft at the same time.

  • But it carried a knockout punch.

  • "Candidates are giving away the ability to have a knockout fantastic answer," he said.

    Blog text (12)
  • Newt had his moments in the debate, but he failed to deliver any knockout punches.

    Blog text (33)
  • The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under James Levine had just played a knockout performance of Carter's Variations for Orchestra.

    Blog text (12)
  • The speaker delivered a knockout performance that left the audience amazed.

  • Her knockout personality makes her the life of every party.

  • The team's knockout strategy led them to victory in the championship game.

Synonyms

severe
vsknockout
520 3.5

Very strong and harmful, often causing great damage

is more about being impressively strong rather than bad or harmful
hard
vsknockout
419 1.8

Very strong or forceful, like a heavy blow

is about being strikingly impressive rather than just strong
knock-down
vsknockout
6.0

A very strong force that makes someone fall or feel unable to answer

is more general and can impress without causing physical overthrow

Antonyms

524 1.0

Not strong in body or muscles and easily tired

90 3.4

Not working well enough to give the wanted result

Compounds

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

A fight stopped by the referee because one fighter cannot continue safely

1 9.9

A liquid secretly put into a drink to make someone pass out

How Impressive

knockout
14 5.1
stunning
83 4.1
striking
56 3.8
impressive
584 3.4
notable
112 3.7
ordinary
683 1.0

Surface Forms

knockout positive

Morphology

knockout = knock + out (semi-transparent) = knock + out

Adjectival use ('a knockout success') is a metaphorical extension from the literal sense of being striking or overwhelming; the morphological relation is clear but the precise evaluative meaning requires idiomatic sense.

Etymology

Knockout as an adjective comes from the parts knock + out, like a punch that finishes a match, so it describes something very strong, impressive, or powerful.