knock

[ nok ]

verb (used without object)

1. to strike a sounding blow with the fist, knuckles, or anything hard, especially on a door, window, or the like, as in seeking admittance, calling attention, or giving a signal:

   to knock on the door before entering.

2. to strike in collision; bump:

   He knocked into a table.

3. to make a pounding noise:

   The engine of our car is knocking badly.

4. Informal. to engage in trivial or carping criticism; find fault.
5. Cards. to end a game, as in gin rummy, by laying down a hand in which those cards not included in sets total less than a specific amount.

verb (used with object)

1. to give a sounding or forcible blow to; hit; strike; beat.
2. to drive, force, or render by a blow or blows:

   to knock a man senseless.

3. to make by striking a blow or blows:

   to knock a hole in the wall.

4. to strike (a thing) against something else.
5. Informal. to criticize, especially in a carping manner:

   He's always knocking everything.

6. British Slang. to astound; impress greatly.

noun

1. an act or instance of knocking.
2. the sound of knocking, especially a rap, as at a door.
3. a blow or thump.
4. Informal. an adverse criticism.
5. the noise resulting from faulty combustion or from incorrect functioning of some part of an internal-combustion engine.
6. Cricket. an innings.
7. British Slang.
   1. one of a combination of dealers who bid together, rather than against each other, at an auction, and later resell the purchases among themselves.
   2. an auction at which this is done.
   3. the sale of merchandise recently obtained by a dealer at an auction.

verb phrase

1. 1. Slang. to make pregnant.
   2. to exhaust; weary; tire.
   3. to damage; mar:

      The children knocked up the new table.

   4. to injure; wound:

      He was afraid to come home from school all knocked up again.

   5. British. to wake up; rouse; call:

      He knocked us up before dawn.

2. to make or construct in a hurry or with little attention to detail:

   He knocked together a couple of tables.

3. Informal.
   1. to wander aimlessly or idly; loaf.
   2. to mistreat (someone), especially physically.
   3. to jar; shake up.
4. 1. Informal. to cease activity, especially work:

      to knock off at five every day.

   2. to stop doing something; quit:

      Knock it off or you'll get into a mess.

   3. Slang. to dispose of; finish.
   4. Slang. to murder; kill.
   5. Slang. to die.
   6. Slang. to get rid of; reduce.
   7. Slang. to disable or defeat.
   8. Slang. to commit a robbery at; steal from:

      The gang knocked off a gas station.

   9. Nautical Slang. to blow the head (of a sailing vessel) off the wind.
   10. to imitate, copy, or plagiarize:

       to knock off designer dresses in cheap materials.

5. Slang. to drink (a beverage), especially quickly and heartily:

   He knocked back two shots of vodka.

6. 1. to defeat (an opponent) in a boxing match by striking such a blow that the opponent is unable to rise within the specified time.
   2. to render (a person) unconscious:

      Those sleeping pills knocked me out for ten hours.

   3. to make tired or exhausted:

      Christmas shopping always knocks me out.

   4. Informal. to produce quickly, hurriedly, or with ease:

      He knocks out two poems a day.

   5. to damage or destroy:

      The explosion knocked out the power for several hours.

   6. knock ( def 28 ).
7. 1. to strike (someone or something) from an erect to a prone position:

      to knock over a lamp.

   2. to distress; overcome:

      When the announcement came we were completely knocked over.

   3. Slang. to rob, burglarize, or hijack:

      He knocked over five banks.

8. 1. to sell at auction by a blow of the hammer or to a bidder.
   2. to take apart or disassemble, as for facility in handling, storing, shipping, etc.
   3. Slang. to receive, as a salary or a scholastic grade; earn:

      He knocks down 30 grand a year.

   4. Informal. to lower the price of; reduce:

      to knock down end-of-season leftovers.

   5. Slang. to embezzle or steal (money).
   6. to cause (a sailing vessel) to heel, as by a gust of wind, to such a degree that it cannot right itself.

knock

/ nɒk /

verb

1. tr to give a blow or push to; strike
2. intr to rap sharply with the knuckles, a hard object, etc, esp to capture attention

   to knock at the door

3. tr to make or force by striking

   to knock a hole in the wall

4. intrusually foll byagainst to collide (with)
5. tr to bring into a certain condition by hitting or pushing

   to knock someone unconscious

6. informal.
   tr to criticize adversely; belittle

   to knock someone's work

7. Alsopink intr (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a characteristic metallic noise as a result of faulty combustion
8. intr (of a bearing, esp one in an engine) to emit a regular characteristic sound as a result of wear
9. slang.
   to have sexual intercourse with (a person)
10. knock a person into the middle of next week informal.
    to hit a person with a very heavy blow
11. knock one's head against
    to have a violent or unpleasant encounter with (adverse facts or circumstances)
12. knock on the head
    1. to daze or kill (a person) by striking on the head
    2. effectively to prevent the further development of (a plan)

noun

1. 1. a blow, push, or rap

      he gave the table a knock

   2. the sound so caused
2. the sound of knocking in an engine or bearing
3. informal.
   a misfortune, rebuff, or setback
4. informal.
   unfavourable criticism
5. informal.
   (in cricket) an innings or a spell of batting

Other Words From

• knock·less adjective
• re·knock verb
• un·knocked adjective
• un·knock·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of knock¹

First recorded before 1000; 1890–95 knock fordef 4; Middle English knokken, knoken (verb), Old English cnocian, cnucian; cognate with Old Norse knoka “to thump, knock”

Word History and Origins

Origin of knock¹

Old English cnocian, of imitative origin; related to Old Norse knoka to hit

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. have it knocked, Slang. to be assured of success:

   With a government job, he thought he had it knocked.

2. knock out of the box, Baseball. to cause a pitcher to be removed from the box because the pitcher has permitted too many hits to be made. Also knock out.
3. knock the / one's socks off, Informal. to have an overwhelming effect on:

   The song knocked the socks off the audience.

More idioms and phrases containing knock

• beat (knock) into someone's head
• beat (knock) the living daylights out of
• (knock) down to size
• (knock) off someone's feet
• school of hard knocks

Synonym Study

See strike.

Example Sentences

He went pro as a boxer in 2020 and has since knocked out opponents such as former basketball player Nate Robinson.

From Los Angeles Times

Prior to the election, we got a lot of stories about the Democratic Party's ground operations, which often involve strangers knocking on doors.

From Salon

If fully cleared by regulators, NexGen’s project alone could push Canada to become the world’s largest producer of uranium over the coming decade, knocking Kazakhstan out of the number one spot.

From BBC

One English woman aged 45-54 years old, reported how "full-on" and "really abusive males" would swear at her, which made her stop knocking on doors to speak to people face-to-face.

From BBC

They plan to knock on doors and reach voters because “every vote should be counted,” said Hairo Cortes, the executive director of Chispa, an advocacy group that predominantly works with young Latinos in Orange County.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hammering

More About Knock

What is a basic definition of knock?

Knock is a verb that means to hit something by bumping into it. Knock also means to repeatedly strike something to make a noise. Knock is used as a noun to mean a sound made by repeated tapping. Knock has many other senses as a verb and a noun. It is also used in several idioms.

Knock means to strike something by bumping into it or colliding with it. This sense of knock is often followed by what was bumped into  (knocked onto the floor).

• Real-life examples: In bowling, the goal is to knock down all of the pins with a bowling ball. In boxing, the competitors repeatedly knock each other in the head and body with their fists. It is difficult to build a house of cards without accidentally knocking it over.
• Used in a sentence: Shawna wasn’t paying attention and accidentally knocked over a stack of boxes. 

When you knock on a door, you hit it with your knuckles, fist, or an object, like a door knocker, usually repeatedly. You might knock on a door or window to get someone’s attention or to signal to them that you want to be let inside (or out!).

• Used in a sentence: He knocked on the wall with his umbrella to get everyone’s attention. 

In a related sense, a knock is the noise you make when you hit something, like a door or window, to get someone’s attention.

• Used in a sentence: I think you have a visitor because I heard a knock at the door. 

The word knock is used in several idioms. For example, if someone “knocks your socks off,” it means they have a positive, overwhelming effect on you.

Where does knock come from?

The first records of knock come before the year 1000. It comes from the Old English cnocian and is related to the Old Norse verb knoka, meaning “to thump.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to knock?

• knocker (noun)
• knockless (adjective)
• reknock (verb)
• unknocked (adjective)
• unknocking (adjective)

What are some synonyms for knock?

• strike
• bash
• hit
• smack
• whack

What are some words that share a root or word element with knock?

• knockout
• knockdown
• knock it off
• knock up
• school of hard knocks
• knock on wood

What are some words that often get used in discussing knock?

• door
• window
• knuckles
• sound
• visitor
• tapping

How is knock used in real life?

Knock is a common word that often means to tap something with your knuckles or to bump into something.

A man just randomly knocked on my door and asked me for money. Then he walked off and didn't knock on anyone else's door on my street.

— Seth Worley (@Awakeland3D) September 24, 2009

Pulled my calf muscle while trying to catch a lamp that my scamp of a cat knocked over.

Yeah. It’s going to be one of *those* days, isn’t it…

— Neil Grayston (@neilgrayston) January 17, 2021

A lightning strike has knocked a tree down onto a two-storey house at 159 Stewart St. around 7:30 p.m.

— PeterboroughExaminer (@PtboExaminer) June 8, 2011

Try using knock!

Is knock used correctly in the following sentence?

The cat knocked the pitcher off the table, and it smashed against the floor.