knockout

American  

[nok-out] / ˈnɒkˌaʊt /

noun

• knockouts
  plural

1. an act or instance of knocking out.

2. the state or fact of being knocked out.

3. a knockout blow.

4. Informal. a person or thing overwhelmingly attractive, appealing, or successful.

5. a panel in a casing, can, or box, especially of metal or plastic, so designed that it can readily be removed, as by punching, hammering, or cutting, to provide an opening into the interior.

   a knockout in a junction box.

6. Machinery. a device for knocking something loose, as finished work from a lathe chuck.

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adjective

1. that knocks out.

   the knockout punch.

knockout British  

/ ˈnɒkˌaʊt /

noun

1. the act of rendering unconscious

2. a blow that renders an opponent unconscious

3. 1. a competition in which competitors are eliminated progressively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a knockout contest

4. a series of absurd invented games, esp obstacle races, involving physical effort or skill

5. informal a person or thing that is overwhelmingly impressive or attractive

   she's a knockout

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verb

1. to render unconscious, esp by a blow

2. boxing to defeat (an opponent) by a knockout

3. to destroy, damage, or injure badly

4. to eliminate, esp in a knockout competition

5. informal to overwhelm or amaze, esp with admiration or favourable reaction

   I was knocked out by that new song

6. to remove the ashes from (one's pipe) by tapping

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• knockouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of knockout

1810–20; 1935–40 knockout for def. 4; noun, adj. use of verb phrase knock out

Explanation

In the sport of boxing, a knockout is a blow that sends one of the boxers to the mat, unable to continue fighting. If you are down and can't rise before the ref counts to ten, consider it a knockout. In full-contact fighting sports, including boxing, karate, and kickboxing, the ultimate goal is a match-winning knockout of the opponent. Not all boxing matches end this way, but a knockout is the most exciting (and dangerous) way for a match to end. This word is also used to mean "gorgeous person," so if someone tells you you're a knockout, you can be sure they mean it as a compliment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

knockout knockouts

If you’re in the mood for a thriller: Hulu’s sleeper hit Furious—which just wrapped up its first season—stars a trio of knockout performances, but one of its stars towers above the rest.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

A real screenwriter and director emerges with his feature debut, a Cannes knockout coming from A24.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

The Eagles then beat AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk in the knockout rounds before defeating Rayo Vallecano in the final in Leipzig to win their first European trophy.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Serrano's fight, held over 12 two-minute rounds, may not have delivered a record‑breaking knockout, but it drew 3.4 million total views on TikTok.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

She was wearing this knockout tennis suit, and here I was in my black jeans and army jacket.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Itauma, 21, has been widely tipped as the next star of heavyweight boxing, with 12 knockouts in 14 professional victories.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Prenga arrived with an impressive record - 20 knockouts from 20 victories and one defeat - but had never operated anywhere near this level or under this kind of spotlight.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Diomande was one of the outstanding performers in the group stage, helping the Ivorians progress to the World Cup knockouts for the first time.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Haaland's scoring is evenly spread, with four goals in the group stage and three in the knockouts.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Grandma hugged Zed and then Zed hugged Joey, and bam, faster than one of Joey’s knockouts, Zed had weaseled himself into becoming part of Joey’s family.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• technical knockout