licking
Americannoun
-
Informal.
-
a beating or thrashing.
-
a reversal or disappointment; defeat or setback.
-
-
the act of a person or thing that licks.
noun
-
a beating
-
a defeat
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of licking
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at 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.
He sips small amounts of ice water because drinking too much is akin to licking one’s lips, causing them to chap.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
But instead of attacking, the smaller ants climb onto the bigger ones and begin licking and nibbling across their bodies.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
"She took to them straight away and was licking them and just absolutely adored them," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
De Angelis and Waltz are also a hoot together, she as a heaving, hissing vampire bride who can’t stop licking her chops, he as a bone-dry vampire hunter dedicated to his investigation.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
Fire rising from a pan on the stove, licking the ceiling and walls.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
