Meanings
plural lickings
- countableuncountableThe act by which something is licked.
- countableinformaluncountableA severe beating.
I have never minded a licking and have never asked for anything more than a fighting chance. But to have to give away five stone in weight and six inches in height was not my idea of a fair go.
1933, Frank Clune, Try Anything Once, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 85 - countableinformaluncountableA great loss or defeat.
Our football team took a licking last night.
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of lick
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
nounthe act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Esperanto lekado
- lekadoan act of licking
Finnish nuoleminen, löylytys
- nuoleminenan act of licking
- löylytysa severe beating
- selkäsaunaa severe beating
- murskatappioa great loss or defeat
French léchage
- léchagean act of licking
German Licken
- Lickenan act of licking
Hungarian nyalogatás, verés
- nyalogatásan act of licking
- verésa severe beating
- vereséga great loss or defeat
- kikapása great loss or defeat
Italian leccata, leccate
- leccataan act of licking
- leccatean act of licking
Polish lizanie, lanie
- lizaniean act of licking
- laniea great loss or defeat
- mantoa great loss or defeat
- cięgia great loss or defeat
Russian лиза́ние, обли́зывание
- лиза́ние (lizánije)an act of licking
- обли́зывание (oblízyvanije)an act of licking
- по́рка (pórka)a severe beating
- взбу́чка (vzbúčka)a severe beating
- трёпка (trjópka)a severe beating
- пораже́ние (poražénije)a great loss or defeat
- разгро́м (razgróm)a great loss or defeat
Spanish lengüetazo
- lengüetazoan act of licking
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with licking
All rhymes →Cite this entry
licking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/licking
“licking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/licking. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “licking,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/licking.
Source: licking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.