knock

[ nok ]

/ nɒk /

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See synonyms for: knock / knocked on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to strike a sounding blow with the fist, knuckles, or anything hard, especially on a door, window, or the like, as in seeking admittance, calling attention, or giving a signal: to knock on the door before entering.

to strike in collision; bump: He knocked into a table.

to make a pounding noise: The engine of our car is knocking badly.

Informal. to engage in trivial or carping criticism; find fault.

Cards. to end a game, as in gin rummy, by laying down a hand in which those cards not included in sets total less than a specific amount.

verb (used with object)

to give a sounding or forcible blow to; hit; strike; beat.

to drive, force, or render by a blow or blows: to knock a man senseless.

to make by striking a blow or blows: to knock a hole in the wall.

to strike (a thing) against something else.

Informal. to criticize, especially in a carping manner: He's always knocking everything.

British Slang. to astound; impress greatly.

noun

an act or instance of knocking.

the sound of knocking, especially a rap, as at a door.

a blow or thump.

Informal. an adverse criticism.

the noise resulting from faulty combustion or from incorrect functioning of some part of an internal-combustion engine.

Cricket. an innings.

British Slang.

one of a combination of dealers who bid together, rather than against each other, at an auction, and later resell the purchases among themselves.
an auction at which this is done.
the sale of merchandise recently obtained by a dealer at an auction.

Verb Phrases

knock around / about Informal.

to wander aimlessly or idly; loaf.
to mistreat (someone), especially physically.
to jar; shake up.

knock back, Slang. to drink (a beverage), especially quickly and heartily: He knocked back two shots of vodka.

knock down,

to sell at auction by a blow of the hammer or to a bidder.
to take apart or disassemble, as for facility in handling, storing, shipping, etc.
Slang. to receive, as a salary or a scholastic grade; earn: He knocks down 30 grand a year.
Informal. to lower the price of; reduce: to knock down end-of-season leftovers.
Slang. to embezzle or steal (money).
to cause (a sailing vessel) to heel, as by a gust of wind, to such a degree that it cannot right itself.

knock off,

Informal. to cease activity, especially work: to knock off at five every day.
to stop doing something; quit: Knock it off or you'll get into a mess.
Slang. to dispose of; finish.
Slang. to murder; kill.
Slang. to die.
Slang. to get rid of; reduce.
Slang. to disable or defeat.
Slang. to commit a robbery at; steal from: The gang knocked off a gas station.
Nautical Slang. to blow the head (of a sailing vessel) off the wind.
to imitate, copy, or plagiarize: to knock off designer dresses in cheap materials.

knock out,

to defeat (an opponent) in a boxing match by striking such a blow that the opponent is unable to rise within the specified time.
to render (a person) unconscious: Those sleeping pills knocked me out for ten hours.
to make tired or exhausted: Christmas shopping always knocks me out.
Informal. to produce quickly, hurriedly, or with ease: He knocks out two poems a day.
to damage or destroy: The explosion knocked out the power for several hours.
knock (def. 28).

knock over,

to strike (someone or something) from an erect to a prone position: to knock over a lamp.
to distress; overcome: When the announcement came we were completely knocked over.
Slang. to rob, burglarize, or hijack: He knocked over five banks.

knock together, to make or construct in a hurry or with little attention to detail: He knocked together a couple of tables.

knock up,

Slang. to make pregnant.
to exhaust; weary; tire.
to damage; mar: The children knocked up the new table.
to injure; wound: He was afraid to come home from school all knocked up again.
British. to wake up; rouse; call: He knocked us up before dawn.

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Idioms about knock

have it knocked, Slang. to be assured of success: With a government job, he thought he had it knocked.

knock out of the box, Baseball. to cause a pitcher to be removed from the box because the pitcher has permitted too many hits to be made.Also knock out.

knock the / one's socks off, Informal. to have an overwhelming effect on: The song knocked the socks off the audience.

Origin of knock

First recorded before 1000; 1890–95 for def. 4; Middle English knokken, knoken (verb), Old English cnocian, cnucian; cognate with Old Norse knoka “to thump, knock”

synonym study for knock

1. See strike.

OTHER WORDS FROM knock

knockless, adjectivere·knock, verbun·knocked, adjectiveun·knock·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use knock in a sentence

If you've ever questioned Justin Bieber's masculinity, he was almost knocked out by ORLANDO BLOOM.
13 Celebrities Who Dissed Justin Bieber|Kevin Fallon|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hardy addressed the incident later, saying, “I got knocked out by Shia LaBeouf, actually.”
Co-Stars Who Hated Each Other: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in 'The Notebook' and More|Marlow Stern|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A New York alderman once said Petrosino “knocked out more teeth than a dentist.”
Who Really Murdered Joe Petrosino?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A star appearing on Broadway in a hit new play that knocked out Tony voters?
The Tony Awards Don’t Have Love For the Stars|Tom Teodorczuk|April 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He bragged in the same interview that he had once knocked out an uncooperative horse with a single punch.
‘Hurricane’ Carter Was Wrongly Convicted, But He Wasn’t Innocent|Michael Moynihan|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of the men there had to be carried away with his eye knocked out by a bullet which had come through the parapet.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie|George Brenton Laurie
Then Capt. ————, who practices this method of prayer, treated them for an hour before they started, and not a man was knocked out.
The Profits of Religion|Upton Sinclair
When I stopped beside the wreck I felt knocked out, but getting home braced me up.
The Girl From Keller's|Harold Bindloss
All that was left was to take his punishment and hold on until he was knocked out, but he meant to do this.
The Girl From Keller's|Harold Bindloss
He could easily have done that during the time I was knocked out.
From Farm to Fortune|Horatio Alger Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for knock

knock

/ (nɒk) /

verb

(tr) to give a blow or push to; strike

(intr) to rap sharply with the knuckles, a hard object, etc, esp to capture attentionto knock at the door

(tr) to make or force by strikingto knock a hole in the wall

(intr usually foll by against) to collide (with)

(tr) to bring into a certain condition by hitting or pushingto knock someone unconscious

(tr) informal to criticize adversely; belittleto knock someone's work

Also: pink (intr) (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a characteristic metallic noise as a result of faulty combustion

(intr) (of a bearing, esp one in an engine) to emit a regular characteristic sound as a result of wear

British slang to have sexual intercourse with (a person)

knock a person into the middle of next week informal to hit a person with a very heavy blow

knock one's head against to have a violent or unpleasant encounter with (adverse facts or circumstances)

knock on the head

to daze or kill (a person) by striking on the head
effectively to prevent the further development of (a plan)

noun

a blow, push, or raphe gave the table a knock
the sound so caused

the sound of knocking in an engine or bearing

informal a misfortune, rebuff, or setback

informal unfavourable criticism

informal (in cricket) an innings or a spell of batting

Word Origin for knock

Old English cnocian, of imitative origin; related to Old Norse knoka to hit

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with knock

knock

In addition to the idioms beginning with knock

knock about
knock back
knock cold
knock dead
knock down
knock down with a feather
knock for a loop
knock into a cocked hat
knock it off
knock off
knock oneself out
knock on wood
knock out
knock over
knock over with a feather
knock someone's block off
knock someone's socks off
knock the bottom out of
knock the living daylights out of
knock the socks off
knock together
knock up

also see:

beat (knock) into someone's head
beat (knock) the living daylights out of
(knock) down to size
(knock) off someone's feet
school of hard knocks

knock

Idioms about knock

Origin of knock

synonym study for knock

OTHER WORDS FROM knock

Words related to knock

How to use knock in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for knock

Word Origin for knock

Other Idioms and Phrases with knock