buck
gb/bˈʌk/ us/bˈʌk/
A2
English
~ 8300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
informal
B1
entity
1
Informal word for a dollar
An informal word for one dollar, or for money counted in dollars.
Usage pattern:
to pay [number] bucks for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "bucks" in very formal writing, where "dollars" is better. They may also say "buckses" for the plural; the correct plural is always "bucks".
Synonyms
dollar (Neutral and standard; does not sound as casual or spoken as "buck".)
Antonyms
nothing (Used when there is no money at all, the opposite of having some bucks.)
Collocations
five bucks
|a few bucks
|big bucks
|make a quick buck
|spend a buck
|it costs ten bucks
Themes
money
|daily life
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- I only have ten bucks in my wallet.
- They’re paying big bucks for experienced programmers.
- He made a quick buck selling snacks at the game.
- Can you lend me a few bucks until Friday?
- Parking downtown will set you back at least twenty bucks.
Learner examples
- The book cost five bucks.
- He wants to save some bucks this month.
- My dad gave me ten bucks for lunch.
- She makes good bucks at her new job.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Adult male deer
A male deer that is fully grown, usually with antlers.
Usage pattern:
a buck in [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "buck" and "doe". Remember: "buck" is the male deer and "doe" is the female deer.
Synonyms
stag (Often used for certain species like red deer; slightly more formal and less common in general speech.)
Antonyms
doe (Refers to an adult female deer, the opposite sex of a buck.)
Collocations
a ten-point buck
|a young buck
|hunt a buck
|buck deer
|a herd of bucks
Themes
animals
|nature
Examples
- A large buck stepped out of the trees and onto the road.
- We saw a buck with impressive antlers near the lake.
- Hunters are only allowed to shoot one buck each season.
- The buck froze for a moment and then ran back into the forest.
- A young buck was grazing alone at the edge of the field.
Learner examples
- We saw a buck in the park.
- The buck has long antlers.
- A buck ran across the road.
- There is a buck standing near the river.
Verb
B2
action
3
Resist or oppose something
To fight against rules, ideas, or a general direction that other people follow.
Usage pattern:
to buck [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "buck" without an object, as in *"He just bucks"*. In this sense it almost always needs an object, like "buck the system", "buck the trend", or "buck authority".
Synonyms
resist (Very close in meaning; "resist" is more common and slightly more formal, while "buck" sounds more vivid and informal.)
Antonyms
go along with (Means to accept or follow something rather than resist it.)
Collocations
buck the system
|buck the trend
|buck authority
|buck tradition
|buck the rules
Themes
society
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She’s always trying to buck the system at work.
- Their new product bucks the trend toward smaller phones.
- He has a reputation for bucking authority whenever he disagrees.
- The company decided to buck convention and remove all dress codes.
- Any politician who bucks the party line risks losing support.
Learner examples
- He likes to buck the rules at school.
- The film bucks the trend of simple hero stories.
- They tried to buck tradition and have a very small wedding.
- She often bucks authority when she thinks it is wrong.
Verb
B2
action
4
Horse jumps and kicks
When a horse jumps and kicks its back legs to try to throw a person off its back.
Usage pattern:
to buck [someone] off
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "buck" here means just "jump". It specifically means a horse or similar animal jumps and kicks in a way that may throw a rider.
Synonyms
buckaroo (Incorrect; actually refers to a cowboy, not a movement. A better near-synonym is "rear", though it only describes rising on the hind legs, not the full movement.)
Antonyms
stand still (Describes a horse not moving or jumping, the opposite of bucking.)
Collocations
the horse bucked
|bucked wildly
|bucked him off
|buck like a bronco
|bucking and kicking
Themes
animals
|sports
Examples
- The horse suddenly bucked and threw her into the dirt.
- He tried to stay on as the bronco bucked wildly.
- The rider was bucked off just seconds after the gate opened.
- The colt started bucking when it heard the loud noise.
- If the horse keeps bucking like that, it needs more training.
Learner examples
- The horse bucked and he fell.
- The animal bucked when it got scared.
- She was bucked off the horse.
- The horse is young and sometimes bucks.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
5
Energetic or aggressive young man
A young man who is very active, strong, or confident.
Usage pattern:
a young buck
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use "buck" alone to mean "man" in general. In this sense it is most natural in the phrase "young buck" and is not common for all men.
Synonyms
guy (A general informal word for a man; "young buck" suggests more energy or aggression than just "guy".)
Antonyms
old-timer (Informal word for an older, experienced person, contrasting with a young and energetic buck.)
Collocations
young buck
|cocky young buck
|ambitious young buck
|a tough buck
Themes
people
|character
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- He’s just a young buck trying to prove himself.
- The team is full of young bucks hungry for success.
- Those young bucks in sales think they know everything.
- An eager young buck volunteered to take on the project.
- The company hired a few young bucks to shake things up.
Learner examples
- He is a young buck in the office.
- The team has many young bucks with new ideas.
- As a young buck, he works very hard.
- The boss thinks the young bucks should listen more.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
Male of certain animals
A word for a fully grown male rabbit, antelope, goat, and some other animals.
Usage pattern:
a buck rabbit
Common mistake:
Learners may think "buck" only means a male deer. In farming and animal care, it can also mean a male rabbit, antelope, goat, and some other animals.
Synonyms
male (General term for the sex; "buck" is used as a specific noun for males of certain species.)
Antonyms
doe (The adult female of several of these same animals, especially rabbits and deer.)
Collocations
buck rabbit
|buck goat
|breeding buck
|a buck and a doe
Themes
animals
|science
|nature
Examples
- The farmer kept one buck rabbit and three does for breeding.
- A mature buck goat can be quite aggressive in mating season.
- The zoo recently acquired a young buck antelope.
- This buck is the father of most of the herd.
- They separated the buck from the females after breeding season.
Learner examples
- The buck rabbit lives in a separate cage.
- The buck is bigger than the female.
- A buck goat can have a strong smell.
- The farm has one buck and many does.
Grammar
Dictionary form
buck
IPA
GB/bˈʌk/
US/bˈʌk/
Syllables & stress
buck (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (buck)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: buck
- Plural: bucks
Verb
- Base: buck
- 3rd Person Singular: bucks
- Present Participle: bucking
- Past: bucked
Word family
Forms
bucks
noun
bucking
verb
bucked
verb
Related words
doe
noun B2
Advanced or less common
buckskin
noun
Expressions
a quick buck
1/ə kwˈɪk bˈʌk/
fixed phrase
informal
Money earned quickly and easily
Money that is made fast and easily, sometimes in a not very honest way.
Examples
- He’s always looking for a way to make a quick buck.
- Some people will do anything for a quick buck.
big bucks
1/bˈɪɡ bˈʌks/
fixed phrase
informal
A lot of money
A large amount of money.
Examples
- Top lawyers can earn big bucks at major firms.
- If this idea works, it could bring in big bucks.
buck for [something]
1/bˈʌk fɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
informal
Try hard to get a promotion
To try very hard to get a better job, promotion, or some reward.
Examples
- He’s bucking for a promotion this year.
- Everyone in that department is bucking for the same job.
buck naked
1/bˈʌk nˈeɪkɪd/
idiom
informal
Completely naked
Wearing no clothes at all.
Examples
- He opened the door and found his toddler standing there buck naked.
- They went swimming in the lake, buck naked in the dark.
buck someone up
1/bˈʌk sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Cheer or encourage someone
To make someone feel happier, more hopeful, or more confident.
Examples
- I tried to buck him up before the interview.
- A short holiday might buck you up a bit.
buck the system
1/bˈʌk ðə sˈɪstəm/
fixed phrase
Resist rules or authority
To fight against or refuse to follow the normal rules or people in power.
Examples
- She’s always trying to buck the system at her company.
- Some young people feel a need to buck the system and do things differently.
buck the trend
1/bˈʌk ðə tɹˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
Go against the usual trend
To act differently from most others, or to do well when most others are doing badly.
Examples
- Their sales are bucking the trend in the industry.
- While other companies are cutting jobs, this firm is bucking the trend and hiring new staff.
buck up
1/bˈʌk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Become more cheerful or determined
To start feeling or acting more cheerful, brave, or determined.
Examples
- You need to buck up and finish the project.
- She finally bucked up and talked to her boss about the problem.
make a quick buck
1/mˈeɪk ə kwˈɪk bˈʌk/
idiom
informal
Earn money quickly and easily
To earn money quickly, often with little work and sometimes in a slightly dishonest way.
Examples
- Scammers are always looking for ways to make a quick buck.
- He started selling street food to make a quick buck over the summer.
pass the buck
1/pˈæs ðə bˈʌk/
idiom
Shift responsibility to someone else
To avoid taking responsibility by making another person deal with a problem or take the blame.
Examples
- Management keeps passing the buck instead of fixing the real issue.
- Stop passing the buck and admit that you made a mistake.
the buck stops here
1/ðə bˈʌk stˈɑps hˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
Final responsibility stays here
Used to say that this person or place has the final responsibility and will not pass it to someone else.
Examples
- As the team leader, the buck stops here.
- He pointed to the sign on his desk that read, "The buck stops here."
bang for your buck
1/bˈæŋ fɚ jˈʊɹ bˈʌk/
idiom
informal
Value for money or effort spent
Getting good value for the money or effort you put in.
Examples
- This phone gives you more bang for your buck than any other model.
- This laptop isn’t the fastest, but it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.
- We want to get the best bang for our buck when choosing suppliers.
- We chose the smaller hotel because it offered better bang for our buck.