"kick up one's heels" meaning in English

See kick up one's heels in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-kick up one's heels.ogg [Australia] Forms: kicks up one's heels [present, singular, third-person], kicking up one's heels [participle, present], kicked up one's heels [participle, past], kicked up one's heels [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*|head=kick up one's heels}} kick up one's heels (third-person singular simple present kicks up one's heels, present participle kicking up one's heels, simple past and past participle kicked up one's heels)
  1. (figuratively) To dance. Tags: figuratively Categories (topical): Dance Translations (dance): svänga sina lurviga (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-kick_up_one's_heels-en-verb-hRBqq8xf Disambiguation of Dance: 80 18 2 Disambiguation of 'dance': 100 0 0
  2. (idiomatic) To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-kick_up_one's_heels-en-verb-iumkmpVc Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 3 93 4 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 5 85 10 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 5 86 9
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see kick, up, one's, heels. Related terms: kick back, kick one's heels
    Sense id: en-kick_up_one's_heels-en-verb-IZrkIKKF

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for kick up one's heels meaning in English (4.4kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kicks up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kicking up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kicked up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kicked up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "kick up one's heels"
      },
      "expansion": "kick up one's heels (third-person singular simple present kicks up one's heels, present participle kicking up one's heels, simple past and past participle kicked up one's heels)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "80 18 2",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Dance",
          "orig": "en:Dance",
          "parents": [
            "Art",
            "Recreation",
            "Culture",
            "Human activity",
            "Society",
            "Human behaviour",
            "All topics",
            "Human",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1852, Mary Henderson Eastman, chapter XI, in Aunt Phillis's Cabin",
          "text": "Above the peals of laughter with which the words were received, rose Jake's voice, \"Come on, ole fiddler, play somefin a nigger kin kick up his heels to; what's de use of singing after dat fashion; dis aint no meetin.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1881, James Greenwood, Low-Life Deeps, Chapter 16: A Cockney Holiday",
          "text": "He does not get on so well in the evening and night time, when his youthful audience has dispersed, and has been replaced by adults of the tag-rag and draggle-tail breed who have no taste for any tunes but those they can vigorously kick up their heels to, […] ."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To dance."
      ],
      "id": "en-kick_up_one's_heels-en-verb-hRBqq8xf",
      "links": [
        [
          "dance",
          "dance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) To dance."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "dance",
          "word": "svänga sina lurviga"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 93 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 85 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 86 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1904, Henry James, chapter XVI, in The Golden Bowl",
          "text": "\"Therefore he has a right, for a change, to 'kick up his heels?\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1912, Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson, chapter XII, in Greyfriar's Bobby",
          "text": "Everybody laughed, for he was a clumsy and comical beast to be decorated with roses and daisies. But the lady is proud of him, and now that pampered donkey has nothing to do but pull her Bath chair about, when she is at Holly Lodge, and kick up his heels on a clover pasture.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1916, Vladimir Korolenko, translated by Marian Fell, The Day of Atonement",
          "text": "With a sum like that the fellow might easily kick up his heels, as the saying is, and run away, not only out of the village, but even out of the District.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases."
      ],
      "id": "en-kick_up_one's_heels-en-verb-iumkmpVc",
      "links": [
        [
          "relax",
          "relax"
        ],
        [
          "please",
          "please"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "If a swimmer kicks up his heels and splashes the water, the judge will take points off accordingly."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see kick, up, one's, heels."
      ],
      "id": "en-kick_up_one's_heels-en-verb-IZrkIKKF",
      "links": [
        [
          "kick",
          "kick#English"
        ],
        [
          "up",
          "up#English"
        ],
        [
          "one's",
          "one's#English"
        ],
        [
          "heels",
          "heels#English"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 37 63",
          "word": "kick back"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 37 63",
          "word": "kick one's heels"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-kick up one's heels.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/34/En-au-kick_up_one%27s_heels.ogg/En-au-kick_up_one%27s_heels.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/En-au-kick_up_one%27s_heels.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kick up one's heels"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Dance"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kicks up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kicking up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kicked up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kicked up one's heels",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "kick up one's heels"
      },
      "expansion": "kick up one's heels (third-person singular simple present kicks up one's heels, present participle kicking up one's heels, simple past and past participle kicked up one's heels)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "kick back"
    },
    {
      "word": "kick one's heels"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1852, Mary Henderson Eastman, chapter XI, in Aunt Phillis's Cabin",
          "text": "Above the peals of laughter with which the words were received, rose Jake's voice, \"Come on, ole fiddler, play somefin a nigger kin kick up his heels to; what's de use of singing after dat fashion; dis aint no meetin.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1881, James Greenwood, Low-Life Deeps, Chapter 16: A Cockney Holiday",
          "text": "He does not get on so well in the evening and night time, when his youthful audience has dispersed, and has been replaced by adults of the tag-rag and draggle-tail breed who have no taste for any tunes but those they can vigorously kick up their heels to, […] ."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To dance."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dance",
          "dance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) To dance."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1904, Henry James, chapter XVI, in The Golden Bowl",
          "text": "\"Therefore he has a right, for a change, to 'kick up his heels?\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1912, Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson, chapter XII, in Greyfriar's Bobby",
          "text": "Everybody laughed, for he was a clumsy and comical beast to be decorated with roses and daisies. But the lady is proud of him, and now that pampered donkey has nothing to do but pull her Bath chair about, when she is at Holly Lodge, and kick up his heels on a clover pasture.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1916, Vladimir Korolenko, translated by Marian Fell, The Day of Atonement",
          "text": "With a sum like that the fellow might easily kick up his heels, as the saying is, and run away, not only out of the village, but even out of the District.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "relax",
          "relax"
        ],
        [
          "please",
          "please"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "If a swimmer kicks up his heels and splashes the water, the judge will take points off accordingly."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see kick, up, one's, heels."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "kick",
          "kick#English"
        ],
        [
          "up",
          "up#English"
        ],
        [
          "one's",
          "one's#English"
        ],
        [
          "heels",
          "heels#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-kick up one's heels.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/34/En-au-kick_up_one%27s_heels.ogg/En-au-kick_up_one%27s_heels.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/En-au-kick_up_one%27s_heels.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "dance",
      "word": "svänga sina lurviga"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kick up one's heels"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.