flick
1 Americannoun
-
a sudden light blow or tap, as with a whip or the finger.
She gave the horse a flick with her riding crop.
-
the sound made by such a blow or tap.
-
a light and rapid movement.
a flick of the wrist.
-
something thrown off with or as if with a jerk.
a flick of mud.
verb (used with object)
-
flicks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flicked,
past participle, past
-
flicking
present participle
-
to strike lightly with a whip, the finger, etc.
-
to remove with such a stroke.
to flick away a crumb.
-
to move (something) with a sudden stroke or jerk.
noun
verb
-
(tr) to touch with or as if with the finger or hand in a quick jerky movement
-
(tr) to propel or remove by a quick jerky movement, usually of the fingers or hand
to flick a piece of paper at someone
-
to move or cause to move quickly or jerkily
-
to read or look at (a book, newspaper, etc) quickly or idly
-
to snap or click (the fingers) to produce a sharp sound
noun
-
a tap or quick stroke with the fingers, a whip, etc
-
the sound made by such a stroke
-
a fleck, streak, or particle
-
informal to dismiss someone from consideration
noun
-
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
-
flicksimple
-
flickssimple
-
have flickedperfect
-
has flickedperfect
-
am flickingprogressive
-
are flickingprogressive
-
is flickingprogressive
-
have been flickingperfect progressive
-
has been flickingperfect progressive
Past
-
flickedsimple
-
had flickedperfect
-
was flickingprogressive
-
were flickingprogressive
-
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
Where a well-defended ball can suddenly become a goal with a nearly undetectable flick of a foot, or a perfectly placed shot blocked by a goalie’s incredible ability to launch into space?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
On Thursday it was announced that the flick will be screened at The Ford amphitheater on July 8 to honor its notable benchmark and enduring legacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 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
He dodged, sideways, under the arm that came out to flick him away, and lunged toward the tree.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
From shoulder shimmies and frat flicks to somersaults and knee slides, the Flemings and Schifferles left it all on the dance floor to prove the prowess of their family name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
During the coronavirus pandemic, she rewatched all of the "Twilight" vampire romance films, which were released from 2008 to 2012, and Bollywood flicks from the 1990s.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
After numerous flicks, he got the fire to stay on.
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
"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
He flicked on his high beams only to watch them bounce back as a blinding wall of light.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
Perhaps the quirkiest fortnight in football peaked for Roberto Martinez's side when Ben Watson flicked a 91st-minute header beyond Manchester City stopper Joe Hart to send Wigan fans wild at Wembley.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
The only thing she dislodged was a large scorpion, which she hurriedly flicked down the cliffside with the knife.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
By flicking their forked tongues, they collect chemical signals from the air that help them locate potential prey.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
But before she had a chance, while flicking through social media, she saw the police appeal for a missing person, Noah Donohoe, and saw within the post, details about a bike.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026
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
She squinted, a vague memory flicking past her as the emperor continued, “We cannot test the stone in the day, in any case.”
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
