Phrase guide

lick one's wounds

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat; to recuperate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ближа си раните (bliža si ranite) — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 舔舐伤口 — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Danish: slikke sine sår — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Dutch: zijn wonden likken — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Finnish: nuolla haavansa — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • French: panser ses plaies — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • French: panser ses blessures — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Hungarian: nyalogatja a sebeit — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Italian: leccarsi le ferite — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Polish: lizać rany — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Polish: wylizać rany — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Russian: зали́зывать ра́ны (zalízyvatʹ rány) — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Russian: зализа́ть ра́ны (zalizátʹ rány) — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Spanish: lamerse las heridas — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Ukrainian: зали́зувати ра́ни (zalýzuvaty rány) — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat
  • Ukrainian: зализа́ти ра́ни (zalyzáty rány) — withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat