kicker

American  

[kik-er] / ˈkɪk ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that kicks.

2. Informal.

   1. a disadvantageous point or circumstance, usually concealed or unnoticed.

      The tickets are free, but the kicker is that you have to wait in line for hours to get them.

   2. a surprising change or turn of events.

      The kicker was that their friends knew it before they did.

3. something extra, as an additional cost or gain; an added expense or financial incentive.

4. Draw Poker. a card, usually an ace or face card, held with a pair or three of a kind in the hope of drawing a matching card.

5. (in concrete construction) a low plinth at the base of a column.

6. Slang. kickers, shoes, especially leisure shoes.

7. Nautical.

   1. a small, low-powered outboard motor.

   2. an auxiliary engine on a sailing vessel, river steamer, etc.

8. Slang. the alcoholic liquor in a mixed drink.

9. Also called eyebrow, highline, overline, teaser.  Printing, Journalism. a short line of copy set in a distinctive type above a headline and intended to call attention to it.

10. Metallurgy. a charge of high-carbon iron that produces a vigorous boil when charged into an open-hearth furnace containing slag and molten metal of lower carbon content.

11. Also called kicker light.  Photography. a light source coming from the back and side of a subject and producing a highlight.

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kicker British  

/ ˈkɪkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that kicks

2. sport a player in a rugby or occasionally a soccer team whose task is to attempt to kick conversions, penalty goals, etc

3. slang a hidden and disadvantageous factor, such as a clause in a contract

4. informal any light outboard motor for propelling a boat

5. poker the highest unpaired card in a hand, used to decide the outcome of an otherwise tied round

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Etymology

Origin of kicker

First recorded in 1565–75; kick + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Nichols added: "But here's the kicker: in this debate, experiences like mine feel like they've been weaponised and are being used for rhetorical misdirection, for what this Bill actually is."

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

As a kicker, the first estimate of fourth quarter GDP was also light of expectations, with growth prospects trimmed by the government shutdown and persistent trade deficits.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

At $1.99/month for a 28-month plan, Surfshark delivers exceptional value already, but the real kicker is the service’s unlimited device connections.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2026

He was mostly a sous chef for Seattle kicker Jason Myers, who booted a record five field goals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The intern turned sideways in his chair in case of attack, but the kicker stayed slumped in sadness.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin