What does "kicker" mean?
One who kicks.
Kicker
/ˈkɪkɚ/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who kicks.
- Grammar: kicker is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: astonishment, athlete, bellyacher, blockbuster.
- Useful contrasts: no kicker, predictable ending, punter.
- Usage evidence: John wants to climb the wall, but the kicker is that it is thirty feet tall.
How to use "kicker"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "kicker" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "kicker" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "kicker" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "kicker" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "kicker" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "astonishment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "kicker", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who kicks.
- 2 A particular type of Texan who is associated with country/western attire, attitudes, and/or philosophy. Southern-US, slang
- 3 a player who kicks the football wordnet
- 4 One who takes kicks.
- 5 One who takes kicks.; A placekicker: a player who kicks the football during free kicks, kick offs, field goals, and extra point tries.
Show 17 more definitions
- 6 The kicking strap.
- 7 An outboard motor. informal
- 8 An unexpected situation, detail or circumstance, often unpleasant, serving as a punchline or clincher. colloquial
"John wants to climb the wall, but the kicker is that it is thirty feet tall."
- 9 An enticement for investors, e.g. warranty added to the investment contract.
- 10 An unpaired card which is part of a pair, two pair, or three of a kind poker hand.
"Jill's hand was two pair, aces and sevens, with a king kicker."
- 11 Small text above a headline that indicates the topic of the story.
"Hammers are, in essence, reverse kickers. Instead of being set in smaller type like kickers, hammers are set in larger type than headlines."
- 12 The last one or two paragraphs of a story.
- 13 Synonym of lead-in (“start of photo caption”).
- 14 A lighthearted or humorous item used to round off a news broadcast.
"[…] international news and politics, and heavy on the light stuff: local news, entertainment and merry little kickers […]"
- 15 A device that periodically displaces a newspaper from the print production line, to aid in gathering the newspapers into fixed-size bundles.
"In a printing machine, the combination of a kicker mechanism for displacing a newspaper […]"
- 16 A launch ramp.
- 17 The fermenting mass of fruit that is the basis of pruno, or "prison wine". slang
- 18 A relaxed party. informal
- 19 A backlight positioned at an angle.
- 20 A rubber pad that propels the ball away upon impact, like a bumper, but usually a horizontal side of a wall.
- 21 A practitioner of the kicking performance art.
- 22 A complainer. US, archaic, slang
Example
"John wants to climb the wall, but the kicker is that it is thirty feet tall."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "kicker"?
Common synonyms include: astonishment, athlete, bellyacher, blockbuster, blow, bomb.
How do you use "kicker" in a sentence?
John wants to climb the wall, but the kicker is that it is thirty feet tall.
How do you pronounce "kicker"?
Pronounced /ˈkɪkɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From kick + -er.
Etymology 2
The southern-U.S. sense referring to a person derives from shitkicker, referring to a cowboy with boots used to kick away cow manure.