knock

Universal Words verb, noun verb at door / window 1 [V] ~ (at / on sth) to hit a door, etc. firmly in order to attract attention: He knocked three times and waited. * Somebody was knocking on the window. hit 2 ~ (sth) (against / on sth) to hit sth, often accidentally, with a short, hard blow: [VN] Be careful you don't knock your head on this low beam. * [V] Her hand knocked against the glass. 3 to put sb/sth into a particular state by hitting them/it: [VN-ADJ] The blow knocked me flat. * He was knocked senseless by the blow. * [VN-ing] She knocked my drink flying. * [VN+adv./prep.] The two rooms had been knocked into one (= the wall between them had been knocked down). 4 [VN] [usually +adv./prep.] to hit sth so that it moves or breaks: He'd knocked over a glass of water. * I knocked the nail into the wall. * They had to knock the door down to get in. * The boys were knocking (= kicking) a ball around in the back yard. * (figurative) The criticism had knocked (= damaged) her self-esteem. 5 [VN+adv./prep.] to make a hole in sth by hitting it hard: They managed to knock a hole in the wall. of heart / knees 6 [V] if your heart knocks, it beats hard; if your knees knock, they shake, for example from fear: My heart was knocking wildly. of engine / pipes 7 [V] to make a regular sound of metal hitting metal, especially because there is sth wrong criticize 8 [VN] (informal) to criticize sb/sth, especially when it happens unfairly: The newspapers are always knocking the England team. * 'Plastics?' 'Don't knock it-there's a great future in plastics.' IDIOMS I'll knock your block / head off! (BrE, spoken) used to threaten sb that you will hit them knock sb dead (spoken) to impress sb very much: You look fabulous-you'll knock 'em dead tonight. knock sb/sth into a cocked hat (BrE) to be very much better than sb/sth: She knocks the rest of the cast into a cocked hat. knock it off! (spoken) used to tell sb to stop making a noise, annoying you, etc: Knock it off, kids-I'm trying to work. knock sb off their pedestal / perch to make sb lose their position as sb/sth successful or admired: A lot of teams are looking to knock us off our perch. knock sth on the head (BrE, informal) to stop sth from happening: to stop doing sth: The recession knocked on the head any idea of expanding the company. * By eleven o'clock we were all tired so we knocked it on the head. knock on wood (AmE) = touch wood at TOUCHv. knock sb sideways (informal) to surprise or shock sb so much that they are unable to react immediately knock spots off sb/sth (BrE, informal) to be very much better than sb/sth: She knocks spots off all the other candidates. knock the stuffing out of sb (informal) to make sb lose their confidence and enthusiasm you could have knocked me down with a feather (informal) used to express surprise moreatDAYLIGHTS, HEADn., HELL, SENSEn., SHAPEn., SIX, SOCKn. PHRASALVERBS knock around... (BrE also knock about...) (informal) 1 to travel and live in various places: He spent a few years knocking around Europe. 2 used to say that sth is in a place but you do not know exactly where: It must be knocking around here somewhere. knock around with sb / together (BrE also knock about with sb / together) (informal) to spend a lot of time with sb/together knock sb/sth around (BrE also knock sb/sth about) (informal) to hit sb/sth repeatedly; to treat sb/sth roughly knock sb back (BrE, informal) 1 to cost sb a lot of money: That house must have knocked them back a bit. 2 to prevent sb from achieving sth or making progress, especially by rejecting them or sth that they suggest or ask relatednounKNOCK-BACK 3 to surprise or shock sb: Hearing the news really knocked me back. knock sth<->back (informal) to drink sth quickly, especially an alcoholic drink knock sb<->down / over to hit sb and make them fall to the ground: She was knocked down by a bus. * He knocked his opponent down three times in the first round. knock sth<->down to destroy a building by breaking its walls SYNDEMOLISH: These old houses are going to be knocked down. knock sb/sth down (from sth) (to sth) (informal) to persuade sb to reduce the price of sth: I managed to knock him down to $400. * He knocked down the price. seealsoKNOCK-DOWN knock off