Meaning & use
kiss my ass
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrasevulgaroffensive
A crude way of telling someone you refuse to obey them, you do not respect them, or you do not care what they think.
Grammar: Used as a complete exclamation aimed at one person; it does not change form.
Patterns
- tell someone to kiss my ass
After the third unfair warning, Dale muttered that his boss could kiss his ass.
She nearly told the landlord to kiss her ass when he demanded extra rent.
In the film, the rebel teenager shouts that the principal can kiss his ass and storms out.
phrasefixed phrasevulgarhumorous
Used as a harsh, joking brush-off between close friends, to show you are not impressed by something they said or did.
Grammar: The tone depends on friendship and delivery; between strangers it sounds hostile.
When my brother bragged about beating my high score, I just laughed and said he could kiss my ass.
Kiss my ass, I was right about the weather and you know it!
Common combinations
- tell someone to kiss my ass
- He told the manager to kiss his ass and walked out.
- you can kiss my ass
- If you think I will apologize, you can kiss my ass.
- kiss my ass goodbye
- Take the money, then kiss my ass goodbye.
- a kiss-my-ass attitude
- The new hire arrived with a kiss-my-ass attitude that annoyed everyone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- get lost
- It is much milder and simply tells someone to go away, while kiss my ass also expresses contempt for their authority.
- go to hell
- It wishes harm on the person, whereas kiss my ass is more about refusing to submit or caring what they think.
- drop dead
- It is a sharper, more hateful dismissal and is rarely used playfully, unlike kiss my ass among friends.
Word family
- ass-kisser noun
- a person who flatters those in power to get ahead
- kiss up phrasal verb
- to flatter someone to win favor
- kiss-off noun
- a blunt dismissal
Commonly confused: kiss my ass or kiss up to?
kiss my ass vs kiss up to
Kiss up to someone means to flatter them for gain; kiss my ass is a rude refusal and not about flattery.
Practice
A coworker who is furious says, "If you want me to work for free, you can ___." Which phrase is the rude refusal?
Choose one answer.
Kiss my ass is the crude way to refuse and show contempt. Kiss up to me would mean flatter me, which does not fit a refusal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kiss my ass”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.