26984 words

knock

24 definitions • 39 examples
1
to repeatedly hit something, producing a noise:

Examples:

knock on She knocked on the window to attract his attention.
Our neighbours knock on the wall if they think we're making too much noise.
knock at There's someone knocking at the door.
Please knock before entering.
2
If an engine is knocking, it is producing a repeated high sound either because the fuel is not burning correctly or because a small part is damaged and is therefore allowing another part to move in ways that it should not.
3
If something such as a pipe knocks, it makes a repeated high sound.
4
to hit, especially forcefully, and cause to move or fall:

Examples:

knock something off something He accidentally knocked the vase off the table.
knock something against something She knocked her head against the wall as she fell.
[ + obj + adj ] Some thug knocked him unconscious.
knock someone/yourself unconscious She was in a car accident that briefly knocked her unconscious.
knock someone/yourself senseless He stood on a rake and knocked himself senseless.
knock a hole in She took a hammer and knocked a hole in the wall.
5
If you knock one room into another room, or knock through a room, you remove the wall between one room and the next so that they form one room:

Examples:

We're planning to knock the kitchen into the dining room to make one large eating space.
6

Examples:

Don't knock him - he's doing his best.
7
a sudden short noise made when someone or something hits a surface:

Examples:

knock on They heard a knock on the window.
He said, with a knock on the wooden table, that he was "absolutely fine".
knock at There was a knock at the door.
8
the act of something hard hitting a person or thing:

Examples:

knock on He received a nasty knock on the head from a falling slate.
9
to repeatedly hit something, producing a noise:

Examples:

Someone is knocking at the door.
Jane knocked on the window to attract his attention.
10
If an engine is knocking, it makes a repeated noise because of a mechanical problem.
11
to push into something or someone, often forcefully, causing the thing or person to move:

Examples:

Alice accidentally knocked the pot off the table.
The blast knocked him off his feet.
12

Examples:

She knocks every suggestion I make.
13
to cause a sudden and unexpected change in something such as prices:

Examples:

His downbeat assessment knocked the company's share price enough to ensure that it failed to rejoin the FTSE 100.
Analysts have warned that price cuts and slowing sales would knock profits.
14
to affect someone or something badly:

Examples:

15
to criticize something or someone:

Examples:

Critics may knock the company, but it's still a good investment.
You can knock him for some things, but you have to give him credit for his record.
16
to visit or talk to someone in order to ask for something:

Examples:

We assist small companies that want to expand their capabilities - if they come knocking, we don't turn them down.
17
to talk to a person or an organization because you want them to help you, or you want to join them:

Examples:

In the two years since it launched its first plan, nearly 218,000 investors have knocked on its door.
In 1911, 39 per cent of Britain's working women were domestic servants, now they are knocking at the boardroom door.
18
to prevent something from happening, or to finally finish something:

Examples:

The company knocked housing market concerns on the head with a 32% rise in full-year profits.
19
to be much better than something or someone else:

Examples:

This ingenious colour viewfinder knocks spots off current LCD displays.
20
to take action to get something or someone into good condition:

Examples:

His arrival on the board has finally knocked the company into shape.
21

Examples:

The rise in mortgage rates really knocked the bottom out of the housing market.
22
a situation in which something is badly affected:

Examples:

Sales of champagne were up over the key Christmas period despite earlier fears of a knock in consumer confidence.
23
a bad experience:

Examples:

take/suffer/have a knock
In him, we see a man, toughened by his share of hard knocks, who's had to struggle for every success.
24
a criticism of someone or something:

Examples:

a knock on sb/sth The biggest knock on internet phones is that they're only as reliable as your broadband connection.

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