king
gb/kˈɪŋ/ us/kˈɪŋ/
A2
English
~ 1000
király
NOUN
A2
1
király
A2
Usage pattern:
the king of [country]
The king addressed the nation in a televised speech.
A király televíziós beszédben szólt a nemzethez.
King Charles III was crowned in a grand ceremony.
III. Károly királyt nagyszabású szertartáson koronázták meg.
The people celebrated the king's birthday with a public holiday.
The king ruled the country for over forty years.
Learner examples
The king lives in a big palace.
A király egy nagy palotában él.
The king wears a crown.
A király koronát visel.
The king is the leader of the country.
The people love their king.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'king' with 'prince'. A prince is usually the son of a king, not the ruler himself.
Meaning
Male ruler of a kingdom
Collocations
crowned king
|king and queen
|king's speech
|reign of the king
Synonyms
monarch (More formal and gender-neutral term for a sovereign ruler.)
Antonyms
queen (Female counterpart of a king in monarchy.)
Themes
politics
|history
|society
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A man who rules a country because he was born into a royal family.
A man who is the official head of a country, especially one who inherits the position by birth.
NOUN
B1
2
király
B1
Usage pattern:
the king of [something]
Elvis Presley is known as the King of Rock and Roll.
Elvis Presleyt a rock and roll királyaként tartják számon.
In this town, he's the king of street racing.
Ebben a városban ő az utcai versenyzés királya.
That company is the king of smartphone sales.
Learner examples
Michael Jackson was called the King of Pop.
Michael Jacksont a pop királyának nevezték.
He is the king of cooking in our family.
A családunkban ő a főzés királya.
This player is the king of football.
Common mistake:
Learners may take this meaning literally and confuse it with a royal title; it is often metaphorical.
Meaning
Most important in an area
Collocations
king of comedy
|king of pop
|chess king
Synonyms
champion (Best performer in a competition or field, often temporary.)
Antonyms
underdog (A competitor expected to lose or be less powerful.)
Themes
competition
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Someone or something that is the best or most important in an area.
A person or thing regarded as the best, most important, or most powerful in a particular field or category.
NOUN
A2
3
király
A2
She moved her rook to protect her king.
A bástyájával lépett, hogy megvédje a királyát.
If your king is trapped, you lose the game.
Ha csapdába kerül a királyod, elveszíted a játszmát.
The white king was checked early in the match.
Learner examples
The king moves one step in any direction.
A király egy mezőt léphet bármelyik irányba.
You must protect your king.
Meg kell védened a királyodat.
If your king has no moves, you lose.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the chess 'king' with the idea of a powerful piece; it is actually weak but vital.
Meaning
Main chess piece to protect
Collocations
check the king
|capture the king
|protect the king
Synonyms
royal piece (Specialized term used by some chess players for the king piece.)
Antonyms
pawn (The least powerful chess piece, opposite in importance to the king.)
Themes
games
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In chess, the piece that you must keep safe to win the game.
The most important piece in chess, which can move one square in any direction and whose capture ends the game.
NOUN
A2
INFORMAL
4
király
A2
He drew the king of spades from the deck.
Kihúzta a pikk királyt a pakliból.
The winning hand included two kings.
A nyerő kézben két király is volt.
I needed just one more king to win.
Learner examples
I have a king of hearts.
Van nálam egy kőr király.
He played a king on the table.
Letett egy királyt az asztalra.
She got two kings in her hand.
Meaning
Card showing male monarch symbol
Collocations
king of hearts
|draw a king
|play the king
Synonyms
face card (Any court card (king, queen, jack) in card games.)
Antonyms
ace (In many games, an ace outranks a king.)
Themes
games
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A card with a picture of a man wearing a crown, higher than queen but lower than ace.
A playing card with a picture of a male monarch, ranked above the queen and below the ace.
Grammar
Dictionary form
king
IPA
GB/kˈɪŋ/
US/kˈɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
king (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (king)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: king
- Plural: kings
Word family
Expressions
cash is king
1/kˈæʃ ˈɪz kˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Money is most important factor
Having money is the most important thing for success or safety.
Examples
- In times of crisis, cash is king.
- For small businesses, cash is always king.
content is king
1/kˈɑntɛnt ˈɪz kˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Content quality is top priority
Good content is the most important thing for success on websites or media.
Examples
- For attracting visitors, content is king.
- In marketing, they say content is king.
live like a king
1/lˈɪv lˈaɪk ə kˈɪŋ/
idiom
informal
Live in great comfort and wealth
To have a very comfortable life with many nice things, like someone very rich.
Examples
- After winning the lottery, he lived like a king for years.
- They were treated well and lived like kings during their vacation.
king of the hill
1/kˈɪŋ əv ðə hˈɪl/
idiom
informal
Person at top position now
The person who is best or most powerful at that time.
Examples
- After his big win, he felt like the king of the hill.
- After winning three championships, he's king of the hill in boxing.
- In tech innovation, they are still the king of the hill.
- Tech companies fight to be king of the hill in innovation.