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Showing results for licking. Search instead for slicking.
Synonyms

licking

American  
[lik-ing] / ˈlɪk ɪŋ /

noun

  1. Informal.

    1. a beating or thrashing.

    2. a reversal or disappointment; defeat or setback.

  2. the act of a person or thing that licks.

licking British  
/ ˈlɪkɪŋ /

noun

  1. a beating

  2. a defeat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonlicking adjective

Etymology

Origin of licking

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; 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.

Lower rates would be welcome news for tech investors, who are still licking their wounds from the past week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Lynagh said he was licking his lips in anticipation of facing Ireland, who were hammered 36-14 by France on Thursday, in Dublin next Saturday.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

The Patriots defence has been brilliant in the play-offs though, bagging four interceptions off CJ Stroud, and they will be licking their chops going up against such a rusty and inexperienced quarterback.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Now the leopard is licking their faces, and they are bewildered.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

He could hear Wolf licking the snow from his paws; ice sliding from his own shoulders.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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.