king
gb/kˈɪŋ/ us/kˈɪŋ/
A2
English
~ 1000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Male ruler of a kingdom
A man who rules a country because he was born into a royal family.
Usage pattern:
the king of [country]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'king' with 'prince'. A prince is usually the son of a king, not the ruler himself.
Synonyms
monarch (More formal and gender-neutral term for a sovereign ruler.)
Antonyms
queen (Female counterpart of a king in monarchy.)
Collocations
crowned king
|king and queen
|king's speech
|reign of the king
Themes
politics
|history
|society
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The king addressed the nation in a televised speech.
- King Charles III was crowned in a grand ceremony.
- 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.
- The king wears a crown.
- The king is the leader of the country.
- The people love their king.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Most important in an area
Someone or something that is the best or most important in an area.
Usage pattern:
the king of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may take this meaning literally and confuse it with a royal title; it is often metaphorical.
Synonyms
champion (Best performer in a competition or field, often temporary.)
Antonyms
underdog (A competitor expected to lose or be less powerful.)
Collocations
king of comedy
|king of pop
|chess king
Themes
competition
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Elvis Presley is known as the King of Rock and Roll.
- In this town, he's the king of street racing.
- That company is the king of smartphone sales.
Learner examples
- Michael Jackson was called the King of Pop.
- He is the king of cooking in our family.
- This player is the king of football.
Noun
A2
entity
3
Main chess piece to protect
In chess, the piece that you must keep safe to win the game.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the chess 'king' with the idea of a powerful piece; it is actually weak but vital.
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.)
Collocations
check the king
|capture the king
|protect the king
Themes
games
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She moved her rook to protect her king.
- If your king is trapped, you lose the game.
- The white king was checked early in the match.
Learner examples
- The king moves one step in any direction.
- You must protect your king.
- If your king has no moves, you lose.
Noun
informal
A2
entity
4
Card showing male monarch symbol
A card with a picture of a man wearing a crown, higher than queen but lower than ace.
Synonyms
face card (Any court card (king, queen, jack) in card games.)
Antonyms
ace (In many games, an ace outranks a king.)
Collocations
king of hearts
|draw a king
|play the king
Themes
games
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He drew the king of spades from the deck.
- The winning hand included two kings.
- I needed just one more king to win.
Learner examples
- I have a king of hearts.
- He played a king on the table.
- She got two kings in her hand.
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.