Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kick in the teeth

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.34 in modern English

Syllables: kick- in the -teeth
IPA

30

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A humiliating insult or instance of bad treatment, especially when one is expecting friendship or in need of support; a sudden and unexpected setback; a strong rebuff.

Example Sentences

"This kick in the teeth, brutal under any circumstances, is more so, given Matoussem Ramoud's gentle, trusting nature and his infatuation with America."
"King had remarked after the bill failed that a lot of people had lost faith in America; Roy Wilkins had said, “This defeat was a kick in the teeth to the civil rights effort.”"
"She had found her niche by being truant from school, giving people a bad time, and basically giving her parents' strict moral values a good, strong kick in the teeth."

Inflected Forms

kicks in the teeth (plural)

Phrases

better than a kick in the teeth

Synonyms

slap in the face

Questions

What does kick in the teeth mean?: A humiliating insult or instance of bad treatment, especially when one is expecting friendship or in need of support; a sudden and unexpected setback; a strong rebuff.

How to pronounce kick in the teeth

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