tyre kicker

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformaldisapproving

   A person who shows interest in buying something but is not serious and probably will not buy.

   Grammar: Countable: one tyre kicker, several tyre kickers; often used in the plural for a group of such people.

   Patterns

   • a tyre kicker who ...
   • deal with tyre kickers

   The salesman wasted an hour on a tyre kicker who never intended to buy.

   We get a lot of tyre kickers at the weekend, but few real buyers.

   Don't spend all day with tyre kickers; focus on customers who are ready to pay.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   Someone who checks a product in detail but has no real intention of purchasing it.

   Grammar: Same countable use; often in business contexts for people who inspect goods without buying.

   Patterns

   • a tyre kicker in the showroom
   • attract tyre kickers

   The car lot is full of tyre kickers on a sunny Saturday.

   Online sellers have to deal with tyre kickers who ask endless questions.

   He was just a tyre kicker; he left without making an offer.

Word forms

Common combinations

a tyre kicker

The manager called him a tyre kicker and moved on to the next customer.

deal with tyre kickers

Good sales staff know how to deal with tyre kickers politely.

attract tyre kickers

Low prices attract tyre kickers who only want to look.

just a tyre kicker

Don't worry about him; he's just a tyre kicker.

Synonyms and how they differ

window-shopper

Someone who looks at goods without buying; it is less negative and can include people who are simply browsing for fun.

time-waster

A more general insult for anyone who wastes your time; it does not specifically suggest interest in buying.

Word family

tyre-kicking noun

The activity of looking at products without buying, often used before another noun: tyre-kicking exercises.

Commonly confused: tyre kicker or tire kicker?

Practice

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