kɪk ðə ˈbʌkɪt
General
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- To strike a bucket with one's foot
What does "kick the bucket" mean?
- To die
- To pass away (often used humorously)
Examples
- He kicked the bucket at the age of 90.
- I want to travel the world before I kick the bucket.
- When I kick the bucket, donate my books to the library.
Origin
Origins debated. Possibly from suicides standing on buckets that were then kicked away, or from the bucket (wooden frame) used in slaughtering pigs.
How to use it
Humorous or casual euphemism for death. Not appropriate for formal or sensitive contexts.
Similar expressions
pass away
die
meet one's maker
bite the dust
Opposites
be born
come alive
survive
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "kick the bucket" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.