knock
/nɔk/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A sharp blow or impact: The act of hitting something with force, often producing a sound.
- The sound made by such a blow: A sharp rapping sound, especially on a door.
- A setback or criticism: A piece of adverse criticism or a difficult experience.
Verb:
- To strike a surface with force: To hit something, typically with the knuckles or a hard object, producing a sound.
- To collide with: To bump into something with force.
- To criticize: To find fault with someone or something.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- He answered the door after hearing a loud knock.
- The engine developed a worrying knock.
- She took a hard knock when her project failed.
Verb:
- Please knock before entering.
- He accidentally knocked his elbow against the wall.
- Don't knock his idea until you've tried it.
Advanced Usage
"To knock it off": To stop doing something annoying.
- I wish they would knock it off with the loud music.
"To be knocked for six": To be extremely surprised, shocked, or overwhelmed (British English idiom from cricket).
- The sudden news really knocked him for six.
"To knock on wood": A superstitious phrase said to avoid bad luck, often while touching something wooden.
- I haven't been sick all year, knock on wood.
Variants and Related Words
Knocker (n): A metal object on a door used for knocking. Also, a person who criticizes.
- The old door had a heavy brass knocker.
Knocking (n/gerund): The action or sound of striking a surface.
- The constant knocking from the construction site was annoying.
Synonyms
- Noun (blow): Bang, bash, thump.
- Verb (to hit): Rap, tap, strike.
- Verb (to criticize): Criticize, censure, disparage.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Knock down: To demolish or to reduce the price of something.
- They plan to knock down the old building.
- He managed to knock the price down by 20%.
Knock out:
- To render unconscious.
- The boxer knocked out his opponent in the first round.
- To impress greatly.
- Her performance knocked everyone out.
- To produce something quickly.
- He can knock out an article in an hour.
Knock over: To cause something to fall over; to rob (slang).
- The cat knocked over the vase.
- The thieves knocked over a jewelry store.
Knock about/around:
- To wander or travel without a specific plan.
- He spent a year knocking about Southeast Asia.
- To discuss informally.
- Let's knock the idea around for a while.
Related Idioms
A knock-on effect: A secondary, indirect effect.
- The factory closure had a knock-on effect on local businesses.
Hard knocks: Difficult experiences in life that teach resilience.
- He learned about business through the school of hard knocks.
Noun
- the act of hitting vigorously
- he gave the table a whack
- a bad experience
- the school of hard knocks
- a vigorous blow
- the sudden knock floored him
- he took a bash right in his face
- he got a bang on the head
- negative criticism
- the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
- the knocking grew louder
Verb
- find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws
- The paper criticized the new movie
- Don't knock the food--it's free
- sound like a car engine that is firing too early
- the car pinged when I put in low-octane gasoline
- The car pinked when the ignition was too far retarded
- make light, repeated taps on a surface
- he was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently
- knock against with force or violence
- My car bumped into the tree
- rap with the knuckles
- knock on the door
- deliver a sharp blow or push :"He knocked the glass clear across the room"