side kick

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablesport

   A kick in martial arts delivered sideways with the edge of the foot, aimed at a target to the side of the body.

   Grammar: Takes an article: a side kick, the side kick.

   Patterns

   • throw a side kick
   • a side kick to something

   She threw a fast side kick and knocked the pad out of her partner's hands.

   The instructor showed us how to turn the hip for a stronger side kick.

   His side kick to the body scored a point.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A less common spelling of sidekick, meaning a close companion or helper of a more important person.

   Grammar: Usually written as one word; two words is a less standard spelling.

   Patterns

   • someone's side kick

   The detective and his side kick arrived at the scene.

   Every hero in the cartoon has a funny side kick.

   She was happy to be the side kick in the school play.

Word forms

Common combinations

throw a side kick

He learned to throw a side kick in his first month of karate.

a powerful side kick

A powerful side kick can break a board.

loyal side kick

The hero's loyal side kick never left his side.

comic side kick

The film's comic side kick stole every scene.

practice a side kick

We practice a side kick at every class.

Synonyms and how they differ

sidekick

This is the standard one-word spelling for a helper character.

companion

Companion is neutral and works for any friend, while sidekick implies a lesser partner to a leader.

assistant

An assistant has a formal job, whereas a sidekick is more of an adventurous partner.

front kick

A front kick goes straight ahead, while a side kick goes out to the side.

Word family

sidekick noun

the standard spelling for a close helper

kick verb

to strike with the foot

roundhouse kick noun

a curved kick used in martial arts

Commonly confused: side kick or sidekick?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “side kick”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words