lick
gb/lˈɪk/ us/lˈɪk/
A2
English
~ 1700
nyal, legyőz, elver, lealáz, egy kis, egy csepp, egy falat, nyalás, lángnyelv, nyalintás, riff, futam, lick
VERB
A2
1
nyal
A2
Usage pattern:
to lick [something]
The dog licked my hand happily.
A kutya boldogan nyalogatta a kezemet.
She licked the envelope to seal it.
Megnyalta a boríték ragasztócsíkját, hogy leragassza.
He licked the ice cream before it melted.
The kitten licked its paw clean.
I licked my lips when I saw the cake.
Learner examples
The dog licks my hand.
A kutya nyalogatja a kezemet.
I lick the ice cream.
Nyalom a fagylaltot.
She licks the stamp.
The cat licks its paw.
He licks his lips.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'lick' with 'lap'; 'lap' is more common for animals drinking liquids repeatedly.
Meaning
Pass the tongue over something
Collocations
lick lips
|lick fingers
|lick an ice cream
|lick a stamp
|lick a wound
Synonyms
lap (Often used for animals drinking or licking repeatedly, especially liquids.)
Antonyms
bite (Opposite in that it uses teeth to cut rather than tongue to touch.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|animals
|body
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move your tongue over something to taste, make wet, or clean it.
To move the tongue across the surface of something, usually to taste, moisten, or clean it.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
to lick [someone/something]
Our team really licked them in the final match.
A csapatunk alaposan elverte őket a döntőben.
He finally licked his fear of public speaking.
Végre legyőzte a nyilvános beszédtől való félelmét.
They licked the other side without breaking a sweat.
Learner examples
Our team licked the other team.
A csapatunk elverte a másik csapatot.
He licked his fear.
Legyőzte a félelmét.
They licked their opponents.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is informal and may use it in formal writing where 'defeat' would be better.
Meaning
Defeat someone easily
Collocations
lick the competition
|lick an opponent
Synonyms
trounce (More formal and emphasizes decisiveness of victory.)
Antonyms
lose to (Opposite in meaning; to be defeated by someone.)
Themes
sports
|competition
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To win against someone or something very easily.
To beat or overcome someone or something completely, often in a competition or challenge.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
I haven't had a lick of food all day.
Egész nap egy falatot sem ettem.
The room could use a lick of paint.
Ráférne a szobára egy kis festés.
She didn't have a lick of energy left.
Learner examples
I have not had a lick of food today.
Ma még egy falatot sem ettem.
The wall needs a lick of paint.
A falra ráférne egy új festékréteg.
He has not a lick of energy.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'lick' always refers to using the tongue; here it is figurative for 'small amount'.
Meaning
Small amount of something
Collocations
a lick of paint
|not a lick of sense
Synonyms
bit (Very general synonym for a small amount.)
Antonyms
lot (A large amount, opposite of small amount.)
Themes
daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very small amount of something.
A very small quantity of something, especially food or drink.
NOUN
B1
4
The horse gave my hand a quick lick.
A ló gyorsan megnyalta a kezemet.
A lick of flame rose from the candle.
A gyertyából felcsapott egy lángnyelv.
He took one lick of the ice cream and smiled.
Learner examples
The dog gave me one lick.
A kutya egyszer megnyalt.
I saw a lick of flame.
Láttam egy lángnyelvet.
She took one lick of the ice cream.
Meaning
Quick touch by tongue or flame
Collocations
a lick of flame
Synonyms
touch (General word for contact; less specific than 'lick'.)
Themes
daily life
|body
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A short, light touch by the tongue or something like fire.
A brief, light movement across a surface by the tongue, flame, or similar.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
5
He played a fast guitar lick during the solo.
A szóló közben egy gyors gitárfutamot játszott.
That blues lick is instantly recognizable.
Az a bluesriff azonnal felismerhető.
She practiced the same lick until it was perfect.
Learner examples
He plays a guitar lick.
Egy gitárriffet játszik.
I like that blues lick.
Tetszik az a bluesriff.
She learns a new lick.
Meaning
Short musical phrase on instrument
Collocations
guitar lick
|blues lick
Synonyms
riff ('Riff' is more common in rock; 'lick' often refers to lead lines or solos.)
Themes
music
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A short group of notes played on an instrument like guitar or saxophone.
A short sequence of notes or pattern played on a musical instrument, especially in jazz, blues, or rock music.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lick
IPA
GB/lˈɪk/
US/lˈɪk/
Syllables & stress
lick (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lick)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lick
- Plural: licks
Verb
- Base: lick
- 3rd Person Singular: licks
- Present Participle: licking
- Past: licked
Word family
Forms
licks
noun
licking
verb
licked
verb
Related words
licker
noun
lickable
adjective
Expressions
a lick and a promise
1/ə lˈɪk ˈænd ə pɹˈɑməs/
idiom
informal
Do quickly without care
To do something quickly and not carefully, planning to do it better later.
Examples
- He gave the kitchen a lick and a promise before guests arrived.
- The report was done with just a lick and a promise.
lick into shape
1/lˈɪk ˈɪntu ʃˈeɪp/
idiom
informal
Improve into good form by effort
To make something better and ready by working on it or fixing it.
Examples
- It took weeks to lick the garden into shape after winter.
- The coach will lick the team into shape before the tournament.
lick one's wounds
1/lˈɪk wˈʌnz wˈundz/
idiom
Recover after defeat or hurt
To rest and try to feel better after losing or being hurt.
Examples
- After losing the match, the team went home to lick their wounds.
- She spent the weekend licking her wounds after the breakup.
lickety-split
1/lˈɪkəti splˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Very quickly or fast
Very fast; quickly.
Examples
- We got there lickety-split when we heard the news.
- Finish your homework lickety-split so we can go out.
not have a lick of sense
1/nˈɑt hˈæv ə lˈɪk əv sˈɛns/
idiom
informal
Have no common sense at all
To have no good judgment at all.
Examples
- He doesn't have a lick of sense when it comes to money.
- You must not have a lick of sense to drive that fast in the rain.