kiss

kiss — verb

1. to press your lips against someone's skin or mouth as a way of showing love, aff

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA1
Definition

to press your lips against someone's skin or mouth as a way of showing love, affection, or romantic desire, or as a greeting when meeting or leaving someone.

Example

Dewi kissed her grandmother on the cheek before heading to school.

kiss + on + body part (cheek)

At the airport, Yael kissed Karim goodbye at the departure gate.

kiss + goodbye (farewell)

Common collocations
  • kiss passionately
  • kiss gently
  • kiss goodbye
  • kiss goodnight
  • kiss on the lips
  • kiss on the cheek
  • kiss on the forehead
Synonyms
  • peck

    a quick, light kiss, often on the cheek rather than the lips; less passionate and more casual than kiss

  • smooch

    informal; refers to romantic kissing, usually longer and more involved than a simple kiss

  • snog

    British informal; passionate kissing, especially for an extended period

Antonyms
  • slap

    a physical strike that expresses rejection or anger, the opposite of an affectionate kiss

  • push away

    to physically reject someone's advance, the opposite of kissing someone

Grammar Patterns

kiss + noun phrase + on + the + body part

kiss + noun phrase + goodnight/goodbye

(plural subject) kiss

Usage Note

Can be used transitively (kiss someone) or intransitively (they kissed). When specifying the body part, the pattern is kiss + someone + on + the + body part. Also commonly used before 'goodbye' or 'goodnight' without any preposition.

Common Mistakes

Dewi kissed his grandmother in the cheek.
Dewi kissed his grandmother on the cheek.
the correct preposition for body parts after 'kiss' is 'on', not 'in'.
She kissed him and then said goodbye.' (wordy)
She kissed him goodbye.
'kiss goodbye' is a concise fixed expression.

2. to lightly and softly touch something, used especially in descriptive writing ab

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to lightly and softly touch something, used especially in descriptive writing about how sunlight, wind, water, or other natural forces make contact with a surface.

Example

The morning sunlight kissed the mountain tops and turned them a rich shade of gold.

metaphorical use: natural element + kisses

A cool breeze kissed Lotte's face as she stood on the hotel balcony.

Common collocations
  • sunlight kisses
  • breeze kisses
  • waves kiss
  • gently kiss
Synonyms
  • caress

    to touch gently and lovingly, usually with the hands rather than by natural elements; more deliberate and affectionate than kiss

  • brush

    to touch lightly in passing; suggests accidental or brief contact rather than a soft, lingering touch

  • graze

    to touch lightly while moving past; more likely to describe accidental contact than kiss

Grammar Patterns

natural element + kisses + noun phrase

Usage Note

Restricted to literary and descriptive writing. The subject is almost always a natural element — sunlight, wind, water, rain, or snow. Not used in everyday speech about physical contact between people.

Common Mistakes

The car kissed the tree in the accident.
The car grazed the tree in the accident.
'kiss' cannot describe a collision; it only suggests gentle, intended contact.

3. to gently kiss a child's injury — such as a cut, scrape, or bruise — as a way of

3.verbtransitiveA2
Definition

to gently kiss a child's injury — such as a cut, scrape, or bruise — as a way of comforting them and making the pain seem to go away.

Example

Sofie scraped her knee on the pavement, so her father kissed it better.

kiss + it + better

When the toddler bumped his head on the table, Noor kissed the spot better.

Common collocations
  • kiss it better
  • kiss the pain away

Grammar Patterns

kiss + body part + better

kiss + it + better

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used with young children in a caregiving context. The expression 'kiss it better' is a fixed phrase. The injury is usually minor — scrapes, bumps, or small cuts.

Phrasal verbs

kiss away

phrasal verb

To remove or soothe something, such as tears or pain, by kissing.

She kissed away the tears from her daughter's cheeks.

He tried to kiss away the pain of her bruised elbow.

Idioms

kiss and tell

idiom

To publicly share private details about a romantic relationship, often for money or attention.

The actress sued her ex-boyfriend for planning to kiss and tell.

After their breakup, he wrote a kiss-and-tell book about their marriage.

kiss somebody’s arse

idiom

To be overly nice to someone in order to get something from them.

Diego is always kissing the manager's arse to get a promotion.

I refuse to kiss anyone's arse just to get a better grade.

kiss something better

idiom

To kiss a minor injury to make the pain go away, especially for a child.

Maya fell and scraped her knee, so her dad kissed it better.

Can you kiss my finger better? It really hurts.

kiss something goodbye | kiss goodbye to something

idiom

To accept that you will lose something or that something will not happen.

If you miss this deadline, you can kiss your bonus goodbye.

After the accident, he had to kiss his dream of being a pilot goodbye.

kiss — noun

Word family

  • kissable
    adjectiveC1
  • kisser
    nounC1
  • kissing
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe touching someone with the lips as a sign of affection, but they differ in intensity, formality, and regional use. 'Kiss' is the neutral, all-purpose term — it covers every situation from a parent kissing a child goodnight to a romantic partner kissing on a date. 'Peck' refers to a quick, light kiss, usually on the cheek or lips, that lasts only a split second; it often signals a casual greeting rather than deep passion. 'Smooch' is an informal word for a longer, more romantic kiss involving sustained lip contact; you would use it in casual conversation but not in formal writing. 'Snog' is British slang for passionate, extended kissing, often while holding each other closely; it carries a stronger sense of intensity and is rarely used in American English. A parent might peck their child on the forehead before bed but would never snog them; romantic partners might start with a kiss and end up snogging on the sofa.

kiss ↗pecksmoochsnog

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • give someone a kiss
  • blow a kiss
  • plant a kiss
  • steal a kiss
  • kiss and make up

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The modern English word 'kiss' comes from the Old English 'cyssan', which itself traces back to the Proto-Germanic root '*kussijanan'. This root is shared with Old High German 'kussen' and Old Norse 'kyssa'. The word is ultimately thought to be of imitative origin — that is, it may echo the sound made by kissing. The noun form developed from the verb in Old English and has remained in continuous use for over a thousand years.