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Synonyms

licking

American  
[lik-ing] / ˈlɪk ɪŋ /

noun

  1. Informal.

    1. a beating or thrashing.

    2. a reversal or disappointment; defeat or setback.

  2. the act of a person or thing that licks.

licking British  
/ ˈlɪkɪŋ /

noun

  1. a beating

  2. a defeat

"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 Word Forms

  • nonlicking adjective

Etymology

Origin of licking

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; lick, -ing 1

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.

Now the leopard is licking their faces, and they are bewildered.

From Salon

Value investors in the U.S. have spent the past decade licking their wounds as a result.

From Barron's

Conditions in Adelaide - a flat pitch, baking sun and Australia batting first - would have had Smith licking his lips.

From BBC

Lockjaw licking his comb to tidy his bangs.

From Los Angeles Times

Even if this England team was going well, I'd be licking my lips at the prospect of bowling to them, knowing one mistake could bring three or four.

From BBC

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.