kick around
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Treat badly, abuse, as in I'm sick and tired of being kicked around by my supervisor. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]
Also, kick about. Move from place to place, as in They spent three years kicking around the country on their bikes, or We've no address; we're just kicking about until we find somewhere to settle. [Colloquial; early 1800s]
Also, kick about. Consider, think about or discuss; examine or try out. For example, Let's kick this scenario around for a while and see what we come up with, or We've been kicking about various schemes to make money. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]
Be available or unused, as in This old computer has been kicking around for months—no one seems to want it. [c. 1900]
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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Words nearby kick around
kibosh, kick, kick about, kick a habit, Kickapoo, kick around, kick-ass, kickback, kickball, kickboard, kick boxing
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.