buck
Informal word for a dollar
An informal word for one dollar, or for money counted in dollars.
to pay [number] bucks for [something]
- 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.
- 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.
Adult male deer
A male deer that is fully grown, usually with antlers.
a buck in [a place]
- 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.
- 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.
Resist or oppose something
To fight against rules, ideas, or a general direction that other people follow.
to buck [something]
- 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.
- 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.
Horse jumps and kicks
When a horse jumps and kicks its back legs to try to throw a person off its back.
to buck [someone] off
- 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.
- 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.
Energetic or aggressive young man
A young man who is very active, strong, or confident.
a young buck
- 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.
- 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.
Male of certain animals
A word for a fully grown male rabbit, antelope, goat, and some other animals.
a buck rabbit
- 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.
- 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.
- Base: buck
- Plural: bucks
- Base: buck
- 3rd Person Singular: bucks
- Present Participle: bucking
- Past: bucked
a quick buck
1Money earned quickly and easily
Money that is made fast and easily, sometimes in a not very honest way.
- He’s always looking for a way to make a quick buck.
- Some people will do anything for a quick buck.
big bucks
1A lot of money
A large amount of money.
- Top lawyers can earn big bucks at major firms.
- If this idea works, it could bring in big bucks.
buck for [something]
1Try hard to get a promotion
To try very hard to get a better job, promotion, or some reward.
- He’s bucking for a promotion this year.
- Everyone in that department is bucking for the same job.
buck naked
1Completely naked
Wearing no clothes at all.
- 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
1Cheer or encourage someone
To make someone feel happier, more hopeful, or more confident.
- I tried to buck him up before the interview.
- A short holiday might buck you up a bit.
buck the system
1Resist rules or authority
To fight against or refuse to follow the normal rules or people in power.
- 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
1Go against the usual trend
To act differently from most others, or to do well when most others are doing badly.
- 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
1Become more cheerful or determined
To start feeling or acting more cheerful, brave, or determined.
- 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
1Earn money quickly and easily
To earn money quickly, often with little work and sometimes in a slightly dishonest way.
- 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
1Shift responsibility to someone else
To avoid taking responsibility by making another person deal with a problem or take the blame.
- 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
1Final responsibility stays here
Used to say that this person or place has the final responsibility and will not pass it to someone else.
- 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
1Value for money or effort spent
Getting good value for the money or effort you put in.
- 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.