kick-ass

American

[kik-as] / ˈkɪkˌæs /

Or kickass

adjective

Slang.

strikingly or overwhelmingly tough, aggressive, powerful, or effective.

He finally built himself a kick-ass computer.

kick ass British

verb

to be impressive, esp in a forceful way

pop music that kicks ass

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

forceful, aggressive, and impressive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

kick ass Idioms

Also, kick butt. Punish or discipline harshly; also, defeat soundly. For example, That foreman's furious; he's going to kick ass before the day is over, or Our team is out to kick butt today. [Vulgar slang; 1940s]

Etymology

Origin of kick-ass

kick + -ass

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:

kick-ass kick ass

The campaign itself has a kick-ass social media team that's churning out memes, TikToks, tweets and Instagram stories that are clever, pointed and tuned in.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2024

“It was on my dream board, right next to ‘running a kick-ass theater company’,” he joked, of the UNC job.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2024

Like, did you have to push back at some point to say, “I’m more than a kick-ass alien killer?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2023

She points to "more vulnerable representations of women on screen when women are writing", adding she knows younger actresses who "lament the fact that they're always playing kick-ass characters".

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2022

“I’m sure. I’m the producer. All I want you to worry about is making the most kick-ass movie you can make.”

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

It also sucked because I was like, “Oh, I would love to get in there and kick ass for him.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

I would like to think I also kick ass at work like Hildy, I am in banking and finance and I think I look good while doing good work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026

Sabalenka responded by saying she was ready to "kick ass" -- setting up an intriguing end to the 2025 tennis season.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025

I’m excited for you to kick ass and take names.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2022

If I could kick ass in the school talent show two years in a row, I can kick ass now.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023