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Glite Dictionary
to knock the living daylights out of

to knock the living daylights out of

9.9
To hit someone very hard or to shock someone very much
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : dar una paliza a
  • If you say that again, I'll knock the living daylights out of you.

Examples

  • The sudden explosion knocked the living daylights out of everyone nearby.

  • She was so scared that it nearly knocked the living daylights out of her.

  • Don't knock the living daylights out of your little brother!

  • He threatened to knock the living daylights out of anyone who challenged him!

  • If you keep pushing me, I will knock the living daylights out of you!

  • The unexpected news knocked the living daylights out of her, leaving her speechless.

  • Hearing the loud crash knocked the living daylights out of the children, who were terrified.

Synonyms

to strike
vsto knock the living daylights out of
553 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

adds the idea of causing extreme fear or shock beyond the hit
to beat up
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
271 4.1

To attack someone by hitting them again and again to hurt them

can also mean to frighten someone intensely, not solely injure
to whack
vsto knock the living daylights out of
250 5.5

To hit someone or something hard so it makes a loud sound

can also mean to terrify someone extremely rather than only hit
to knock out
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • NSFW
210 4.3

To make someone unconscious by a hit, illness, or being very tired

is broader, also including severe terrifying without loss of consciousness
to smack
vsto knock the living daylights out of
164 3.5

To hit someone or something with an open hand

is broader, including severe fright or shock beyond a single strike
to knock down
vsto knock the living daylights out of
93 3.0

Use force to make someone or something fall to the ground

can also mean to terrify or severely shock rather than only topple
to bash
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • NSFW
73 2.9

To hit someone or something very hard

is broader, also covering intense shocking or terrifying effects
to scare someone to death
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
59 3.7

To frighten someone very much

also includes severe physical assault as a possible meaning
to scare the hell out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
56 6.7

To make someone very afraid

includes the idea of severe physical harm as well as fright
to beat the shit out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
53 9.9

To hurt or defeat someone very badly, often by hitting them

also covers terrifying someone severely, not only brutal physical attack
to kick someone's ass
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
45 9.0

To beat or punish someone very badly

can also mean to shock or frighten someone intensely rather than only win
to assail
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Formal
16 8.0

To attack violently, upset someone deeply or criticize them strongly

is more extreme, also including severe frightening beyond mere attack
to beat to a pulp
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
15 7.6

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt or win against them very clearly

adds sudden extreme shock or fear as well as mere injury
to bash in
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • NSFW
13 7.5

Hit something hard so it breaks or opens

also embraces extreme startling or terrifying outcomes not just damage
to stun
vsto knock the living daylights out of
11 3.0

To surprise someone so much they cannot react for a short time

is more violent, often including severe physical beating as well
to knock cold
vsto knock the living daylights out of
8 7.9

To make someone unconscious by hitting them

also includes causing extreme fear or shock even without unconsciousness
to thrash
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • NSFW
7 6.5

Hit someone hard, often as punishment or in a fight

also covers causing extreme fear or shock, not only physical beating
to scare the bejesus out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
5 8.8

To make someone very afraid

is broader, covering both extreme fright and violent physical harm
to strike hard
vsto knock the living daylights out of
3 3.7

Hit someone or something very hard

is broader, also covering frightening or shocking someone intensely
to scare the pants off
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
3 8.2

To frighten someone very much

also covers violent physical beating in addition to causing terror
to beat the pants off
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
3 7.7

Win easily by a lot against another person or team

focuses more on severe harm or shocking someone, not only winning easily
to scare the living daylights out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
3 6.9

To frighten someone very much

is broader, encompassing severe physical harm as well as terror
to scare the life out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
3 5.6

To make someone very afraid

also includes severe physical beating, not only sharp fright
to shock the hell out of someone
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
2 8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

adds physical violence as an alternative meaning beyond emotional shock
to beat the stuffing out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
1 9.0

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt

can also mean to frighten someone intensely rather than just defeat
to knock flat
vsto knock the living daylights out of
1 7.4

To surprise someone very much so they cannot react

also implies causing severe physical harm in addition to sudden shock
to beat someone's brains out
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
1 9.4

To work very hard or to threaten to hit someone

focuses on severe harm or extreme frightening rather than hard effort
to knock over with a feather
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
1 8.8

To be so surprised that you almost cannot react

is stronger, also including violent physical harm instead of only surprise
to beat the daylights out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
1 8.6

To hit someone or something very hard and damage it

is broader, also meaning to terrify someone intensely rather than only harm
to smash someone's face in
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
1 9.8

Hit someone in the face very hard to hurt them

is wider, including extreme shock or fear beyond facial violence
to hit like a ton of bricks
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
1 8.0

To feel a sudden strong shock or surprise

is similar but also covers deliberate severe physical harm rather than only shock
to knock about
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • UK
1 6.3

To hit something hard so it moves or gets damaged

is closer to sudden extreme shock or severe harm, not only repeated hits
to beat the poop out of
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
9.6

Hit someone many times so they become badly hurt

also includes causing extreme fright or shock beyond physical harm
to smash the head
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
8.8

Hit a person's head very hard and cause serious injury

is not limited to head injury, and can include shocking without harm
to bash someone's face in
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • NSFW
9.9

To hit someone's face very hard to hurt them

can also include frightening someone severely, not only facial harm
to smackdown
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
8.6

To hit someone hard so they fall down

focuses more on causing extreme fright or shock as well as impact
to knock into the middle of next week
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
9.9

To hit or shock someone so they feel dazed

is similar but also includes deliberate severe physical beating as well
to hit like a lightning bolt
vsto knock the living daylights out of
8.2

To feel sudden shock or surprise

also covers intentional severe harm or terrifying outcomes beyond impact
to punch someone's lights out
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
9.8

Hit someone very hard so they are knocked out

is wider, also meaning to terrify someone extremely not just knock out
to lam into
vsto knock the living daylights out of
  • Informal
9.9

To hit someone or something violently, often by running into them

also involves terrifying someone severely rather than only physical assault

Antonyms

calm
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

to comfort
172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

How Violent

to knock the living daylights out of
  • Offensive
9.9
to beat up
  • Offensive
271 4.1
to pummel
46 6.7
to punch
455 1.4
to hit
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

knock the living daylights out of infinitive
knocked the living daylights out of past
knocked the living daylights out of past participle
knocking the living daylights out of present participle
knocks the living daylights out of third person singular

Morphology

knock + the + living + daylights + out + of

The core verb phrase 'knock ... out' is fairly transparent: a B1 learner who knows 'knock' (to hit) and 'out' (completely unconscious) can infer causing someone to be rendered unconscious. However, 'the living daylights' is an idiomatic intensifier whose literal parts ('living' + 'daylights') do not transparently contribute that intensifying force, so the full force of 'beat very severely / shock extremely' is only partially predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Knock the living daylights out of comes from a strong image: to knock someone's living daylights meant hitting them so hard the light or life in their eyes went out. That's why it now means 'to beat someone very badly' or 'to shock someone deeply'.