kick around

1. Treat badly, abuse, as in I'm sick and tired of being kicked around by my supervisor . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]

2. 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]

3. 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]

4. Be available or unused, as in This old computer has been kicking around for months—no one seems to want it . [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

This idea has been kicking around for many years, with the intention that if the watch is stopped, teams can't waste time.

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He kicked around the idea of adapting the interview with Hujar but knew that filming in just one space was a high-stakes gambit.

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For those who have kicked around at Westminster for a while, there is something familiar about it too.

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She loved having a kick around the garden with her brothers, but her Punjabi dad wasn't keen on her joining a team.

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Looks like we won’t have Aaron Rodgers to kick around much longer.

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Related Words

• amble 
• dance 
• flit 
• float 
• flow 
• flutter 
• hover 
• linger 
• meander 
• ride 
• sail 
• slide 
• stray 
• stroll 
• waft 
• wander 
• wash