Standard Lemma guide

licking

noun · verb · 6 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlɪkɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪkɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: L IH1 K IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act by which something is licked.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A severe beating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, informal, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A great loss or defeat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, informal, uncountable

Examples

  • Our football team took a licking last night.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of lick

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beating, thrashing, drubbing, lacing, trouncing, whacking

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: corporal punishment

Narrower terms: whipping, tanning, flogging, lashing, flagellation

6

noun

Meaning 6

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it was a narrow defeat
  • the army's only defeat
  • they suffered a convincing licking

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defeat

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ending, conclusion, finish, failure

Narrower terms: heartbreaker, lurch, rout, shutout, skunk, thrashing, walloping, debacle, drubbing, slaughter, trouncing, whipping, waterloo, whitewash

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: lekado — an act of licking
  • Finnish: nuoleminen — an act of licking
  • French: léchage — an act of licking
  • German: Licken — an act of licking
  • Hungarian: nyalogatás — an act of licking
  • Italian: leccata — an act of licking
  • Italian: leccate — an act of licking
  • Macedonian: лижење (liženje) — an act of licking
  • Polish: lizanie — an act of licking
  • Quechua: llaqway — an act of licking
  • Russian: лиза́ние (lizánije) — an act of licking
  • Russian: обли́зывание (oblízyvanije) — an act of licking
  • Sikkimese: ལྕེ་ལྡག (lce ldag) — an act of licking
  • Spanish: lengüetazo — an act of licking
  • Finnish: löylytys — a severe beating
  • Finnish: selkäsauna — a severe beating
  • Hungarian: verés — a severe beating
  • Russian: по́рка (pórka) — a severe beating
  • Russian: взбу́чка (vzbúčka) — a severe beating
  • Russian: трёпка (trjópka) — a severe beating
  • Finnish: murskatappio — a great loss or defeat
  • Hungarian: vereség — a great loss or defeat
  • Hungarian: kikapás — a great loss or defeat
  • Polish: lanie — a great loss or defeat
  • Polish: manto — a great loss or defeat
  • Polish: cięgi — a great loss or defeat
  • Russian: пораже́ние (poražénije) — a great loss or defeat
  • Russian: разгро́м (razgróm) — a great loss or defeat
Real reading context

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