1 kiss
Pronounced:
/ˈkɪs/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
kiss·es; kissed; kiss·ingMeaning:
1 a : to touch (someone) with your lips as a greeting or as a way of showing love or sexual attraction [+ obj] ▪ He kissed her on the cheek. = He kissed her cheek. ▪ They kissed each other passionately. ▪ She kissed him good night/goodbye. [no obj] ▪ I'll never forget the night we first kissed. b [+ obj] : to touch (something) with your lips ▪ When he got off the plane he knelt down and kissed the ground.
2 [+ obj] : to touch (something) gently or lightly ▪ The tree's branches kissed the ground below.
2 [+ obj] : to touch (something) gently or lightly ▪ The tree's branches kissed the ground below.
kiss and make up
informal : to become friendly again after a fight or disagreement ▪ It's time for the mayor and the police chief to kiss and make up.
kiss and tell
: to tell people about the private details of your romantic relationships ▪ I never kiss and tell.
kiss ass
US informal + impolite 1 or kiss someone's ass or Brit kiss someone's arse : to be nice to people in order to make them like you or give something to you ▪ He says he doesn't want a promotion if he has to kiss ass to get it.
2 kiss my ass —used to show that you are angry at someone ▪ He told me to leave, and I told him he could kiss my ass!
2 kiss my ass —used to show that you are angry at someone ▪ He told me to leave, and I told him he could kiss my ass!
kiss off
[phrasal verb] informal 1 impolite —used in angry speech to tell someone to leave and stop bothering you ▪ She told me to kiss off when I asked her to dance.
2 kiss (someone or something) off or kiss off (someone or something) : to reject or ignore (someone or something) in a casual or careless way ▪ My boss kissed off my ideas for a new product.
3 kiss (something) off or kiss off (something) : to accept the fact that you have lost or will never get (something) ▪ You can kiss off [=give up on] any hope of getting tickets to the game. —see also kiss-off
2 kiss (someone or something) off or kiss off (someone or something) : to reject or ignore (someone or something) in a casual or careless way ▪ My boss kissed off my ideas for a new product.
3 kiss (something) off or kiss off (something) : to accept the fact that you have lost or will never get (something) ▪ You can kiss off [=give up on] any hope of getting tickets to the game. —see also kiss-off
kiss (something) goodbye
informal : to accept the fact that you have lost or will never get something ▪ They can kiss their vacation plans goodbye now. [=their vacation plans are now ruined] ▪ If you don't start working harder, you can kiss that promotion goodbye. [=you won't be getting that promotion]
kiss up to [phrasal verb]
kiss up to (someone) US informal + disapproving : to try to make (someone) like you ▪ She is always kissing up to [=sucking up to] the boss.
—kiss·able /ˈkɪsəbəl/ adjective [more kiss*able; most kiss*able] ▪ soft, kissable lips
/ˈkɪsəbəl/ adjective [more kiss*able; most kiss*able] ▪ soft, kissable lips