Meanings
- idiomaticnot comparableHealthy; vital; in good health, particularly in opposition to unfavorable circumstances.
Unix is not a relic. It's alive and kicking.
1996 April 11, Mr. Wizard, “Re: NT or 95?”, in comp.os.linux.advocacy (Usenet)2 more examples
He pulled and pulled and pulled, until he saw coming out of the water—what do you think? Instead of a dead donkey he saw a marionette, alive and kicking, struggling and twisting like an eel.
1904, Carlo Collodi, translated by Walter Samuel Cramp, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Chapter 34A number of nights now steer away from the EBM of yesteryear. The scene is alive and kicking with plenty of new bands that aren't reliant on synths.
2005, "oldgoth", Theaving Goths (on newsgroup uk.people.gothic)Synonyms: alive and well, animated, kicking, above ground, alive, alive and well, animate, animated
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveHealthy; vital; in good health, particularly in opposition to unfavorable circumstances.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 活蹦亂跳 /活蹦乱跳
- 活蹦亂跳 /活蹦乱跳 (huóbèngluàntiào)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Finnish elossa ja voimissaan
- elossa ja voimissaanhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
French vif, en pleine forme
- vifhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- en pleine formehealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- bien en viehealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- sain et saufhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
German gesund und munter, quicklebendig
- gesund und munterhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- quicklebendighealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Greek ακμαιότατος, ζει και βασιλεύει
- ακμαιότατος (akmaiótatos)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- ζει και βασιλεύει (zei kai vasilévei)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Hebrew חַי וְקַיָּם
- חַי וְקַיָּם (kháy v'kayám)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Hungarian él és virul, ép és egészséges
- él és virulhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- ép és egészségeshealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Italian vivo e vegeto, in ottima salute
- vivo e vegetohealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- in ottima salutehealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Japanese 元気一杯, しゃんしゃんする
- 元気一杯 (genki ippai)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- しゃんしゃんする (shanshan suru)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Polish o dobrym zdrowiu
- o dobrym zdrowiuhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Portuguese vivo e forte
- vivo e fortehealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Russian жив-здоро́в
- жив-здоро́в (živ-zdoróv)healthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Scottish Gaelic ag èirigh 's a' gearan
- ag èirigh 's a' gearanhealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Spanish vivito y coleando, vivo y coleando
- vivito y coleandohealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
- vivo y coleandohealthy, especially in opposition to other circumstances
Cite this entry
alive and kicking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alive%20and%20kicking
“alive and kicking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alive%20and%20kicking. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alive and kicking,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alive%20and%20kicking.
Source: alive and kicking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.