click

¹ American  

[klik] / klɪk /

noun

1. a slight, sharp sound.

   At the click of the latch, the dog barked.

2. a small device for preventing backward movement of a mechanism, as a detent or pawl.

3. Phonetics. any one of a variety of ingressive, usually implosive, speech sounds, phonemic in some languages, produced by suction occlusion and plosive or affricative release.

4. any one of a variety of familiar sounds used in calling or urging on horses or other animals, in expressing reprimand or sympathy, or produced in audible kissing.

5. Computers. the act of rapidly depressing and releasing a button on a mouse or other input device, usually the left-hand button, as to select an icon.

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verb (used without object)

• clicks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• clicked,
  past participle,  past
• clicking
  present participle

1. to emit or make a slight, sharp sound, or series of such sounds, as by the cocking of a pistol.

   The door clicked shut.

2. Informal.

   1. to succeed; make a hit.

      If the play clicks, the producer will be rich.

   2. to fit together; function well together.

      They get along in public, but their personalities don't really click.

   3. to become intelligible.

3. Computers. to rapidly depress and release one of the buttons on a mouse or other input device, usually the left-hand button.

   Just click on the link to get to the site.

verb (used with object)

• clicks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• clicked,
  past participle,  past
• clicking
  present participle

1. to cause to click.

2. to strike together with a click.

   He clicked his heels and saluted.

3. Computers.

   1. to select (a screen object) by rapidly depressing and releasing one of the buttons on a mouse or other input device, usually the left-hand button.

      Click “OK” to continue .

   2. to rapidly depress and release (a button on a mouse or other input device).

      Click the trackpad button once.

click ² American  

[klik] / klɪk /

Or klick,

noun

Slang.

1. a kilometer.

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click British  

/ klɪk /

noun

1. a short light often metallic sound

2. 1. the locking member of a ratchet mechanism, such as a pawl or detent

   2. the movement of such a mechanism between successive locking positions

3. phonetics any of various stop consonants, found in Khoisan and as borrowings in southern Bantu languages, that are produced by the suction of air into the mouth

4. slang a kilometre

5. computing an act of pressing and releasing a button on a mouse

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verb

1. to make or cause to make a clicking sound

   to click one's heels

2. (usually foll by on) computing to press and release (a button on a mouse) or to select (a particular function) by pressing and releasing a button on a mouse

3. slang (intr) to be a great success

   that idea really clicked

4. informal (intr) to become suddenly clear

   it finally clicked when her name was mentioned

5. slang (intr) to go or fit together with ease

   they clicked from their first meeting

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clicker
  noun
• clickless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• clicking
  present
• clicked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• click
  simple
• clicks
  simple
• have clicked
  perfect
• has clicked
  perfect
• am clicking
  progressive
• are clicking
  progressive
• is clicking
  progressive
• have been clicking
  perfect progressive
• has been clicking
  perfect progressive

Past

• clicked
  simple
• had clicked
  perfect
• was clicking
  progressive
• were clicking
  progressive
• had been clicking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will click
  simple
• will have clicked
  perfect
• will be clicking
  progressive
• will have been clicking
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of click¹

First recorded in 1575–85; perhaps imitative, but perhaps from Dutch klikk (noun), klikken (verb)

Origin of click²

First recorded in 1950–55; originally U.S. military slang; further origin unclear

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Explanation

A click is a sound like a sharp tap. Your dog might start barking excitedly every evening when he hears the click of your key turning in the lock. And you might click your computer mouse when you are excited about getting to another page on the web. Click is also a verb, meaning to make the sound of a click: "Don't click your tongue at me — I can have ice cream for dinner if I want to!" You can use the word in a figurative way as well, to mean "fall suddenly into place," as when a confusing math problem finally clicks for you. Increasingly, to click is to tap on a computer icon with a mouse: "Click through to my new website!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

click clicks clicked clicking

Google’s paid click volume has decelerated sequentially this year, falling from 13% growth in the first quarter to 8% in the third.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

"Put your heart out there because one day it's going to click."

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

To search for a listening bar near you, click here.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

It was also the most difficult to record, cut raw with no click track.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

There was silence for a moment and then a click.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Data from marketing firm Grey Matter supports these patterns, revealing that business-to-business search clicks cost roughly 21% more from April through September 2026 than a year earlier.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

In an era when anyone can watch just about anything with a few clicks of a trackpad or taps of a finger, moviegoing has become more intentional than ever, especially with rising ticket prices.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026

Sadly, I’ve been making these sorts of predictions long before the invention of clicks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Having struggled to establish himself as Real's first-choice full-back since moving to the Bernabeu last summer, could this be the moment he finally clicks in the middle of the park?

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

The heater clicks on: a gust of warm air, rattling slightly.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

The “sparkle” icon was at the vanguard of this trend, a magical-looking diamond that suggested something incredible was behind the door if you just clicked that button.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

That didn't materialise in the first half, but it clicked in the second.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Three months into the venture, OpenAI introduced its tool that helps track the purchase activity of users who clicked on ads to prove they worked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The platform recently added a “seems like AI slop” reporting option on posts, which more than 1 million people have already clicked.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

The first picture he clicked on was just a blur.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Chargers are rested and healthier than they were before the bye, but they will have a hard time keeping pace on the scoreboard if the Rams start clicking early.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

"We all know they have the individual quality, but for whatever reason it's not clicking," said former England captain Steph Houghton.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

You can pre-order your copy by clicking here.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

A.I.s are getting good at clicking around a computer.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

They sat in the trees around the kennel simply observing—taking notes—which they shared with one another using bill clicking as a form of semi-telegraphic communication.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen

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