flick
1 Americannoun
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a sudden light blow or tap, as with a whip or the finger.
She gave the horse a flick with her riding crop.
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the sound made by such a blow or tap.
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a light and rapid movement.
a flick of the wrist.
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something thrown off with or as if with a jerk.
a flick of mud.
verb (used with object)
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to strike lightly with a whip, the finger, etc.
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to remove with such a stroke.
to flick away a crumb.
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to move (something) with a sudden stroke or jerk.
noun
verb
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(tr) to touch with or as if with the finger or hand in a quick jerky movement
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(tr) to propel or remove by a quick jerky movement, usually of the fingers or hand
to flick a piece of paper at someone
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to move or cause to move quickly or jerkily
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to read or look at (a book, newspaper, etc) quickly or idly
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to snap or click (the fingers) to produce a sharp sound
noun
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a tap or quick stroke with the fingers, a whip, etc
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the sound made by such a stroke
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a fleck, streak, or particle
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informal to dismiss someone from consideration
noun
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a cinema film
-
the cinema
what's on at the flicks tonight?
Usage
What does flick mean? A flick is a light, rapid movement, as in With a flick of her wrist, the magician made the card disappear. A flick is also a sudden tap or light blow, as with a whip or a finger. To flick is to make such a motion. Flick is also a slang term for movie or film. Example: Flick that spider off the table, Tony.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flicksimple
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flickssimple
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have flickedperfect
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has flickedperfect
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am flickingprogressive
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are flickingprogressive
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is flickingprogressive
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have been flickingperfect progressive
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has been flickingperfect progressive
Past
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flickedsimple
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had flickedperfect
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was flickingprogressive
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were flickingprogressive
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had been flickingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flick1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English flykke; imitative
Origin of flick2
First recorded in 1925–30; shortening of flicker 1
Explanation
A flick is a quick, short movement, usually coming from the wrist or hand. There used to be a "Flick a Bic" cigarette ad: cigarettes are awful, but starting a lighter is a classic flick. The most common flick is probably turning a switch on or off — people flick switches, like light switches. Flicking is also used when describing golfers and basketball players. A fast, sharp golf shot could be called a flick. A quick basketball shot — like tipping the ball in with one second left in the game — is also a flick. A flick can also be described as a quick jerk — not a jerk as in a bad person, but a tiny movement. If you're using your whole body or even your whole arm, you're not flicking.
Vocabulary lists containing flick
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When my body said to fling, I really needed to flick; when I used force, I really needed finesse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
The low-budget horror flick, directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons, hit $100 million on Wednesday after just six days in theaters — a rare feat for any arthouse film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
The valets in the lobby summon golf carts with a flick of the wrist, graciously driving me back and forth from the parking lot.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
There is the flick on from Brian Kidd, which falls to George.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Lifting herself over the gutter with a neat flick of her bushy tail, Jess clattered across to a small slate side roof.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Gangster flicks are perhaps among the most misunderstood movies out there.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
But consider where The RZA and his late cousin, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, along with other members, were first exposed to these flicks.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
A real showboater is someone whose very mention elicits warm, fuzzy memories of flamboyant flicks and trickery.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
The San Fernando Valley native is a brilliant director who has made sprawling, messy epics about imperfect people synonymous with his name, like John Ford with Westerns or A24 with art house flicks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
Taro comes into my room while I'm painting and flicks my ear.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
The big question was: Had Croatia's Igor Matanovic flicked the ball on in the build-up?
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
"It wasn't the switch was flicked off, but there was a lot going on."
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
More often, it’s a shower of lemon zest or a handful of toasted breadcrumbs, flicked over the top like confetti.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
Most folks I encountered grew up playing an Asian version and flicked the tiles with an enviable ease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
He held it out, and before he could think of anything better, flicked it on.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
On a Wednesday in February in the Coachella Valley, more than two dozen farmworkers weaved up and down rows of strawberries, their gloved hands flicking quickly to pluck the fruit and stash it in boxes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
The debutant looked at home on the international stage, passing the ball well and flicking a header on to the crossbar in the second half.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025
Even when Sinner tapped into his normally impenetrable return game, Alcaraz found more variety, mixing in feathery drop shots and flicking balls off his shoelaces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2025
“I always remember him flicking his trousers so they hung well,” Hayter said.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
Grandma was slapping her hands together, flicking off the last bits of paper into the trash, but her eyes were steely and beaming right on Crab, watching him like a hawk.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
