Meaning & use
licking
Last updated
Informal: a severe defeat or beating.
See it in a sentence
Our team took a real licking in the championship game.
He got a licking from his older brother for breaking the window.
A note on using this word
In this informal sense, 'take a licking' means to be soundly defeated or physically punished, quite distinct from the literal act of licking with the tongue.
Words with a similar meaning
thrashingbeating
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “licking”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.