to kick someone's ass
412
9.0
- phrasal verb
- /kɪk sʌmˌwʌnz æs/
- Offensive
- If you challenge me to a race, I will definitely kick your ass.
- go kick someone's ass
- want to kick someone's ass
- get to kick someone's ass
Examples
-
Kick his ass!
-
Now I feel like kicking his ass.
-
Just let me know if I need to kick his ass for you.
-
Yo, kick his ass, man.
-
I'm gonna kick her ass.
-
Kick his ass, Eddie, come on!
-
I mean, we kicked those guys' asses.
Fiction book (2001) -
My boys are kicking your girls' asses.
-
Chicago is kicking Iesha's ass now.
Fiction book (1993) -
Kick his ass.
Synonyms
232
4.4
To hit something with a long thin object or move it quickly and forcefully
99
7.2
Beat someone or something completely in a conflict
58
8.1
To angrily tell someone off
54
9.9
To hurt or defeat someone very badly, often by hitting them
42
9.9
To defeat someone completely, often physically or in a game, used in rude speech
38
8.6
Punish or hurt someone to get revenge
23
9.9
To beat someone very badly in a fight or competition
17
7.6
Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt or win against them very clearly
13
6.5
Hit someone hard, often as punishment or in a fight
9
7.5
To beat someone completely in a game or contest
3
7.7
Win easily by a lot against another person or team
2
9.9
To attack or punish someone suddenly and violently, often for something they did
2
9.9
To hit someone's face very hard to hurt them
2
8.6
To hit someone or something very hard and damage it
2
6.7
To beat someone very easily and completely in a game or contest
1
9.0
Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt
1
8.8
Beat someone by a lot
1
9.3
To punish or defeat someone to stop their harmful actions
1
8.2
To take firm action to punish someone
1
8.7
To beat someone by a large amount in a contest or game
1
9.9
To hit someone very hard or to shock someone very much
1
9.6
Hit someone many times so they become badly hurt
1
8.4
To defeat someone completely in a contest or argument
1
8.4
To beat someone with a whip or stick as punishment
To yell at or threaten someone to make them try harder
Take strong action to make someone work or change
Antonyms
How Decisive
- NSFW
58
7.5
- Offensive
412
9.0
18
7.5
704
2.1
∞
1.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines literal parts ('kick' + 'ass') whose physical meaning (to strike someone's buttocks) readily maps onto a common metaphorical extension meaning 'defeat or punish someone.' However, the figurative sense is colloquial and vulgar and requires pragmatic/metaphorical knowledge beyond knowing the individual words, so it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
Kick someone's ass comes from the literal image of someone being kicked in the ass during a fight or contest. That strong picture turned into a way to say 'defeat' or 'punish' someone badly, so today it means to beat someone completely.