kick — OET · Shobdo

kick

verb

1 they punched and kicked me repeatedly | she kicked a box in his direction:

boot, punt, strike with the foot;

propel, drive, knock, send;

Scottish blooter;

British, informal put the boot into, welly.

2 informal he was struggling to kick his drug habit:

give up, break, get out of, abandon, end, escape from;

stop, cease, leave off, desist from, renounce, forgo, do without, eschew;

informal shake, pack in, lay off, quit.

▷antonyms take up, start.

3 the gun kicked so hard that he flinched:

recoil, spring back, fly back.

□ kick against

young people are expected to kick against the establishment:

resist, rebel against, oppose, struggle/fight against, refuse to accept;

protest against, complain about, rage against, grumble about, object to;

defy, disobey, reject, spurn;

Northern English twine about;

informal gripe about, grouse about, beef about, bitch about.

▷antonyms accept.

□ kick someone aroundinformal

we feel we are undervalued and get kicked around:

abuse, mistreat, maltreat, treat disrespectfully, treat inconsiderately, push about, push around, boss about, boss around, trample on, take for granted;

informal mess about, mess around, walk all over.

□ kick something about (also kick something around) informal

they began to kick about the idea of sending a man into space:

discuss, talk over, debate, thrash out, consider, moot, toy with, play with, argue the pros and cons of.

□ kick back

North American, informal

take a moment to kick back and enjoy an ice cream:

relax, unwind, take it easy, rest, take one's ease, slow down, let up, ease up/off, be at leisure, sit back, laze, enjoy oneself;

North American, informal chill out, hang loose.

□ kick off

informal

the festival kicks off on Monday |

the installation kicks off a three-year project:

start, begin, get going, get off the ground, get under way;

open, start off, set going, set in motion, launch, put in place, initiate, introduce, inaugurate, usher in, start the ball rolling;

informal get the show on the road;

formal commence.

□ kick someone out

informal

he was kicked out of his regiment for insubordination:

expel, send away, eject, turn out, throw out, force out, oust, evict, put out, get rid of;

dismiss, discharge;

informal chuck out, send packing, boot out, show the door to, give someone their marching orders, throw someone out on their ear, sack, fire, give someone the boot, axe;

British, informal give someone the push, give someone the elbow, give someone the big E, bin off, turf out, defenestrate;

North American, informal give someone the air, give someone the bum's rush.

noun

1 he gave the ball a kick:

boot, punt.

2 informal I get a kick out of driving a racing car | the murderer was a lunatic who killed for kicks:

thrill, excitement, stimulation, tingle;

fun, enjoyment, amusement, pleasure, gratification;

informal buzz, high;

North American, informal charge.

3 informal caffeine-free cola for those who want the taste without the kick | mustard is mixed into the dough to give the roll a delicious kick:

potency, stimulant effect, alcoholic effect, strength, power, punch;

tang, zest, bite, piquancy, edge, pungency, spice, savour;

informal zip, zing, zap, pep, oomph.

4 informal their parents had gone on a health kick and refused to buy junk food:

craze, enthusiasm, obsession, mania, passion, preoccupation, fixation;

fashion, vogue, trend;

informal fad, jag.

kick (1) Oxford Dictionary of English