to kick ass
65
9.3
- phrasal verb
- /kɪk æs/
- Offensive
:
partirla
- Well, thanks a lot, Jerry, but my team kicks ass.
- kick ass and take names
- going to kick ass
- just kick ass
So I'm all for helping people kick ass in every circumstance.
- So I'm all for helping people kick ass in every circumstance.
- The show is going to kick ass tonight on FX Boom.
- And what I want is I want to kick ass.
- And also she just would kick ass, you know?
- But is this just what you need to gain an edge and kick ass?
- We almost gave it to you because your EDC fucking kicks ass.
- Oh, Speaking of movie, I watched Monkey Man, that kicks ass, right?
- They reminded me why I'm here, that I am strong, that I am female and I kick ass and we're going to get through this.
- So she really kicks ass, takes names, is a a super empowered character.
- He still kicks ass because he's self-taught, self-directed and has the foundation of the MD, but then builds upon that.
Examples
-
I am glad you will still be involved behind the scenes; you kick ass!
Blog text (2) -
Really, these women are all kicking ass in their own right.
Blog text (20) -
I know you guys are gonna kick ass, right?
-
I happen to know that you kick ass out there, and you worked very hard to get to where you are.
-
OK, I'm kicking ass in business and marketing.
-
So have fun and kick ass at what you're doing.
-
So I'm all for helping people kick ass in every circumstance.
-
So she really kicks ass, takes names, is a a super empowered character.
-
Yeah, so far you're really kicking ass.
-
You're doing an amazing job, and I can truly say you're kicking ass in your new role.
Synonyms
209
7.5
To be very good or impressive
52
7.8
To be very good or enjoyable
18
8.5
To do very well and win a game or contest
18
8.1
To do something very well so people are impressed
3
9.9
To do very well and act confidently, often in a forceful way
Antonyms
How Well
213
3.8
- Offensive
65
9.3
58
3.7
846
2.0
520
1.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
kick + ass
The sense 'to be excellent' cannot be derived from the literal meanings of 'kick' (to strike) and 'ass' (butt); a B1 learner who knows the words would most likely interpret a physical or aggressive action rather than praise. This is an informal, vulgar idiom whose figurative extension (to dominate or perform extremely well) is metaphorical and unpredictable across languages, so it is opaque to learners.
Etymology
The idiom kick ass comes from the strong image of someone actually kicking another person's ass to beat them and win. That's why people now use it to say someone is 'excellent' or 'does extremely well'.