Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kick start

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.66 in modern English

Syllables
kick- s-tart
IPA
19
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A metal bar on a motorcycle used to start its engine.

noun

An act of starting a motorcycle by quickly depressing the kick start with one's foot.

noun

A fast or strong start; help with starting or beginning well.

noun

An impetus that starts or restarts some process.

verb

To start a motorcycle.

Transitive verb

verb

To start or begin strongly or quickly.

Transitive verb

verb

To make (something) active, functional, or productive again; to reinvigorate (an activity, system, or process).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From kick + start. Compare push-start.

Usage

Inflected Forms

kick starts (plural) kickstart (alternative) kick-start (alternative) kick starts (present, singular) kick starting (participle, present) kick started (participle, past) kick started (past)

Phrases

flying start head start jump start kick off

Frequently Paired Words

flying start head start jump start kick off

Synonyms

reinvigorate revitalize jump-start kick starter

Questions

What does kick start mean?
A metal bar on a motorcycle used to start its engine.
Where does kick start come from?
From kick + start. Compare push-start.

How to pronounce kick start

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “kick start”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “kick start”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “kick start” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.